Trema: Land of Victory
by Veloran-Darkfyre
Summary: NEW CHAPTER UP! Shinryu x Absol, Lemon warnings are sporadic, but I will warn before they happen. Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. I own the following: Trema & all creations regarding it. Shinryu Varias. Guardian/Chosen concepts introduced.
1. Arrival to a New Land

**Well, here is the first chapter of my first Pokemon story. I am just writing this for now as a way for me to give my other story a break and "cool down" so I can return to it without having to rush trough it.**

**DISCLAIMER: Pokemon is owned by Gamefreak. The only things I own are my Special-Made pokemon, the story line, the OC's, Team Chaos, and The Trema Region.**

*~*~*~* Is a time lapse

"Hello" is Human

_"Hello"_ is Pokespeak

_~Hello~ _is Telepathy

_Hello _is Thoughts

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One: Arrival to a new Land<strong>

Shinryu breathed in deeply of the ocean air, sighing as he looked back to his family that was waving him off.

"Good bye! Hope to see you soon!" Shouted a woman of around her 50's, tears running down her eyes.

Shinryu smiled and raised his hand back, turning around to face the boat again. "Ready to go Night?" He asked casually to the Absol that stood at his side with a slight air of possessiveness.

Night smiled as she looked up at Shinryu, her crimson eyes glinting. "More than ready, Ryu."

Shinryu smirked at the long-standing nickname. "Wow... I just realized I spent over 5 years trying to get you to call me that instead of master, and now that you are...Well, I don't know what to say." He picked up his bag and slid it over his shoulder as Night leaned into his leg, a slight smile on her face.

"What?" Night asked with a purr. "Dissapointed that I am listening to what you want now instead of just doing what I wanted?"

Shinryu chuckled, stepping onto the plank up to the ship the moment it was placed out, accidentally causing Night to fall over on her side and to have everyone laugh at her. "Oops. Sorry girl." He said with a wink back to her.

Night growled softly in her throat as she stood back up. _Damnit! I can't yell at him because we don't want too many more humans knowing that I can talk! _She darted up the plank and onto the deck of the ship, reaching Shinryu in a matter of minutes.

Shinryu laughed louder. "I guess you should've been paying more attention eh?" He asked jokingly down at Night, knowing full well that she couldn't answer him.

_Oh he is sooo going to get it! _Night thought to herself, glaring up at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Better not be making any plans for revenge Night. We are going to have some company in the room for most of the trip. Remember Lance?"

Night nodded. _Yes, I do remember him. _She thought.

"Well, he's traveling with us for a bit until we reach Trema. Sort of a...Bodyguard if you will." He said as he placed a key into the lock of a door numbered '51'. He turned his hand, and with a barely audible 'click', the door opened. "Ladies first." He said jokingly, stepping aside to let Night in.

Night stepped into the room and yawned, walking over to the bed closest to her and jumping lightly onto it as Shinryu closed the door. "And why do you need a bodyguard? I've been protecting you for about eight years now, much longer than you have known Lance." Night asked, looking up at Shinryu as she laid down. "I mean, after all. Who was the one who saved you from a rampaging Gyarados? I was. Who stopped the enraged Aggron from stomping you into the dust? I was. And who was it that-"

"Enough Night, I get the point. I'll talk with Lance when he gets here." Shinryu sat down on the bed next to Night and ran his hand through her fur, scratching lightly along her side.

Night closed her eyes and started purring happily. "Okay... I'll hold you to that."

Shinryu smiled. "Okay. It's fine with me." He said, laying himself backwards to stare up at the ceiling. He felt the bed shift slightly and a soft pressure on his chest so he looked to see Night had shifted to where she could lay her head down on his chest and was staring up into his eyes.

"When Lance leaves there is something I need to talk to you about. Is that alright Ryu?" Night asked hesitantly.

Shinryu nodded. "Of course Night. Why wouldn't I think it'd be alright?"

Night sighed and closed her eyes. "Your right. Thank you..."

Shinryu wrapped an arm around Night and laid his head back down on the pillow. Soon he heard soft snoring coming from the Absol and smiled. _She fell asleep... What is it she wanted to talk with me about anyway? _He wondered, closing his eyes and falling into dreamland shortly after.

Shinryu jumped at the sound of knocking at his door and nearly jumped out of surprise, knocking Night off of him in the process who let out an indignant growl.

"Hey Shinryu! It's Lance! Open up, I have something to give you right now."

Shinryu grumbled under his breath about needing somemore sleep as he went and opened the door. On the other side stood Lance in his black cape with an annoyed look on his face. "What is it Lance? I was sleeping..."

Lance sighed. "I am just here to deliver a letter from Professor Oak and then I am off. An unexpected challenge-course for the League Challenge has come up in the Kanto-Johto regions and I need to be there for it."

"Oh of course Lance... Where is the letter?" Asked Shinryu.

Lance reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Here you go. Do you need me for anything else? 'Cause I need to get going now."

Shinryu shook his head. "Nope. I'm fine."

Lance nodded. "Alright, I am off then. Take care Shinryu." He turned with a flourish of his cape and disappeared down the hall, leaving Shinryu standing in the doorway of his room.

"Umm...Okay then." Shinryu closed the door and walked over to the table that was in the adjoining kitchenette of the room to sit down at one of the chairs. He pulled out a small pocket knife and slit open the envelope carefully. "Hey Night. Come here and listen while I read."

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><p><strong>Ooh... Cliffhanger. If you want me to continue this I need at least 20 reviews from you all! Tell me what you think, good or bad, just no FLAMES!<strong>

**EDIT: I fixed a bug I spotted within the chapter while reading over it. Oh, and I forgot to mention 20 reviews for THIS CHAPTER! Later all ;-)**

**~Veloran Darkfyre (A.K.A: Kuroreikon Kuroame, Shadowstalker, Shinryu, and a variety of other nicknames I could use)**


	2. Arrival to a New Land, Part II

**Hey hey all! Glad to be back and I see (insert number) reviews! Wow! Thanks all for being so supportive of this Fanfic!**

**Anyways, heres something that I have to do...**

**Disclaimer: Gamefreak owns pokemon. I don't. (Even though I wish I could :-( ... Heheh) I only own Trema, its pokemon species, the OC's, the storyline, Team Chaos [Ooh, I forgot to say this: Oh no! Its another Team to come into being! What will happen? Will its ass get kicked into oblivion or will they succeed at their plans? No One KNOWS! ...Well, besides me!]**

**Anyhow, back to the show!**

_**Shinryu: What're you talking about? This isn't a show.**_

_**Me: STFU Shinryu! This is my gig here!**_

_**Shinryu: ...**_

_**Me: Haha! Speechless much?**_

_**Night: *Bites my leg***_

_**Me: YEOWCH! ... Lets just continue while I get my ass kicked by my own creations shall we?**_

_**Shinryu: Damn right! Night use Shadow Claw!**_

_**Me: Gah... *Collapses from blood loss* ... On with the story... *Falls unconcious***_

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: Arrival to a New Land, Part 2!<strong>

Shinryu waited as Night got down from the bed and made her way towards where he was sitting with exaggerated slowness, showing that she was NOT pleased with waking up and had a look on her face that said ~Fuck with me, and you're dead~. He resisted the sudden urge to gulp at this as he waited for her to sit next to him.

"... What does it say?" Night asked with debillitating slowness, glaring up at Shinryu as if HE was the reason that she was rudely awakened.

Shinryu resisted the urge to gulp again as he laid out the letter on the table. "Okay, here is what it reads. _'Dear Shinryu, I have some things I'd like to inform you on about the Trema Region. The first thing I want you to know about is that Trema's limit to carrying pokemon isn't six like the other regions but twelve. This can be difficult if your Team balances eachother out and adding new pokemon to the mix can off-set these strategies off. Be prepared for this so you aren't surprised when you defeat six pokemon that belongs to a trainer and he sends out another one. The second thing is there are rumors of the Team Chaos stationing themselves in Trema. I've heard from Professor Alpine that they have been causing a lot of problems lately. And the last thing for you to know is that the Generation VI Pokedex is complete and you have one waiting for you in the Auburn Town Pokemon Center. It has a new add-on specially designed by Silph-Co and the Devon-Corp with the help of Bill to act as your own special Pokemon Storage Unit. It will allow you to switch Pokemon without visiting a Pokemon Center. I wish you and your Pokemon the best of luck. Sincerly, Professor Oak.'_ ... Wow, Trema does sound more serious now. What do you think about that Night?"

Night yawned boredly, staring up into Shinryu's face as he looked down at her from his chair. "Right now, I just want to get some more sleep. I'll tell you what I think in the morning." She put extra emphasis on sleep and morning before standing back up and silently padding towards the bed. Halfway there she looked back at Shinryu. "Are you coming or what?"

Shinryu sweatdropped as he stood up and made his way to the bed and laid back down, slidding his shirt off before closing his eyes. He nearly jumped in surprise when Night nuzzled her head into his chest and laid down next to him. He could feel her scythe-like horn laying flat against his stomach and involuntarily thought of the what damage that horn could cause. Soon, the realm of Dreams welcomed him with open arms and he fell asleep.

**_Flashback begins..._**

Shinryu stood alone on top of a hill, looking up at the sky as tears streamed down his face. He thought of what had caused him to come onto the hill and more tears began to slide down his cheek. "Damn it! Why did this have to happen! Why does everyone I know hate me!" He sat down on the ground and buried his face in his arms, heavy sobs heaving from him as he cried.

"Absol?" Asked a questioning voice from behind Shinryu, causing him to jump with surprise. He turned and gasped at what he saw. In front of him stood an Absol, one of the most beautiful pokemon to exist in his opinion. He stumbled back, a little scared, until he saw the thin gash running along the creatures side with bright crimson blood coating the surrounding fur.

Shinryu shakily got back to his feet and started to slowly approach the Disaster Pokemon, unafraid of its reputation as a 'killer' in the eyes of the populace of his hometown of Fortree. The Absol watched him wearily as he came to its side and examined the gash. "You don't look so good... Mind if I help out?" He asked softly, looking into the Crimson eyes of the creature he was standing next to. He saw the Absol nod and looked back at the gash. Shinryu stood on his knees as he reached into his bag and pulled out a Hyper Potion he kept on him in case of these things happening. He looked back at the Absol. "This is going to hurt..." He whispered as he turned the nozzle into the open position and started to spray it along the Absol's side along the gash.

The Absol gritted its teeth to keep from groaning in pain, closing its eyes as it stood there allowing the Human to tend to its wound. Shortly after, the Absol's eyes opened when it longer felt the pain of the gash. It looked over its shoulder and examined its side. Sure the blood was still there, but the gash had been repaired back to how it was before.

Shinryu smiled at the Absol as he took a step back. "There we go... Does that feel much better?" He asked softly.

The Absol looked at Shinryu, staring deep into his eyes for a while. And then, without warning, pounced on top of him to pin him down.

Shinryu gulped as he stared up at the Absol that was simply looking down at him, scared out of his wits and wondering what it was going to do.

The Absol leaned its head down and licked his cheek softly. "Thank you, human." It said in a female voice, stepping off of him.

Shinryu was taken aback. "You - You - You can talk?" He asked incredulously.

The Absol smiled coyly as it, well she, sat down. "Yes I can. And because you helped me without any thought of having anything expected in return I am now your Guardian."

"Wha? What do you mean by Guardian?" Asked Shinryu, slightly confused.

The Absol giggled. "Oh my... You humans have certainly forgotten much. A Pokemon Guardian such as myself wanders the countryside looking for those who are pure of heart and..." She paused to look at Shinryu. "And who deserve to have a better life for themselves." She watched as Shinryu developed a look of shock across his face. _And I think he can wait to hear what happens between a Guardian and their chosen... _"Well? Hard to digest?" She asked softly.

Shinryu nodded dumbly. _A Pokemon Guardian! Wow... This is interesting..._

The Absol chuckled. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Night."

Shinryu blinked. "My name is Shinryu. It's very nice to meet you Night."

Night smiled. "Good... Do you happen to have a Pokeball on you? I may be a Guardian but I am still a Pokemon and can be caught by others."

Shinryu nodded. "Yes, I do. I keep one on me at all times." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sphere. He pressed the button and it expanded. The top half of the ball was a blue color while the bottom was white. On two sides of the top part of the ball were red ridges. "Here it is." He said, showing it to Night.

Night nodded and she walked over to sit in front of Shinryu. "Well? Press the button to my forehead to capture me."

Shinryu nodded and brought the device down and tapped the button gently onto the Absol's forehead.

Immediately the device absorbed the Absol into the device and 'dinged' signaling an instant capture.

Shinryu let Night out and smiled at her. "Well guess what Night."

Night cocked her head to the side. "What?" She asked curiously.

Shinryu smirked. "You are the first pokemon I ever captured."

**_End Flashback..._**

Shinryu yawned and stretched, stopping when he felt a warm weight pressed on top of him. He looked down to see Night sleeping peacefully on top of him, lightly snoring. It brought a smile to his face as he saw this. Over the eight years since he 'caught' her, he had noticed that his feelings towards her developed from just thinking of her as his Guardian to thinking that she was his closest, most trusted friend. He put an arm around Night and tried to gently slide out from under her so he could go use the restroom. He failed at it though...

"Hey! What're you doing?" Grumbled an unhappy Night as she glared at Shinryu.

"Sorry Night. Nature is calling." Answered Shinryu as he closed the door.

Night sighed as she rolled onto her side to stare up at the wall in front of her. _How much longer is it going to take? Most Guardians would've had the pull done faster than what I am... Is something wrong with me?_ She wondered. _I mean, Xorai the Gallade and his chosen have already mated! And we used to be best friends! _She heaved a heavy sigh. _But why is Shinryu different? The only bloodline able to resist the Pull is... _She gasped with the realization. _Oh my! Shinryu is a Varias! _She looked in the direction of the bathroom. She closed her eyes and breathed out. _A living Varias! The bloodline is resurfacing after a thousand years!_

Shinryu sighed as he opened the bathroom door, drying his hands off on a towel as he stepped into the bedroom portion of the suite. He tossed the towel into a bin when he was done and looked over at Night, who seemed to have fallen asleep. This brought a smile to his face as he looked at her sleeping form.

Night barely opened an eye to see Shinryu looking at her with a peaceful smile on his face. _A Varias... Its almost unbelievable! Arceus, you're showing the Guardians a new hope! We can push back the Darkness now!_

Shinryu walked into the kitchen and opened the small fridge. _Hmm... Looks like Breakfast is Eggs this morning... _He thought as he pulled out the carton of eggs and walked over to the stove. He opened the cabinents, searching for a pan, until he found one in the drawer beneathe the stove. He placed it onto one of the burners, turning the dial to medium. He sprayed Pam onto the burner and opened the carton, seeing five eggs. He took the eggs out, breaking them open over the pan and watched them for a bit. He found a spatula and began to scramble the eggs up. After a few minutes of this he turned the stove off and moved the pan to a cool burner to let it cool off as he grabbed his plate from his bag, some Pokemon food, and Night's bowl.

Upon seeing the food bowl Night yawned loudly, exaggerating her 'waking up' and stood. "Morning Shinryu. What's for breakfast today?" She asked as she jumped from the bed lightly and followed him into the kitchen.

"Same thing as always, Night. Well, for you anyways. Some nice, nutriciuos Pokemon Food. Specially blended with Absols in mind and some Cheri Berries that you love sooo much thrown in for flavor." He said sarcastically. "And for me I will be having some scrambled eggs that I cooked myself."

Night giggled. "If you cooked it, I won't touch it. I prefer Pokemon food to burnt, messed up Human food."

Shinryu had to hide the tic he developed in his eyebrow from having that thrown back into his face. Sure he wasn't the greatest cook, but the only thing he could cook without any trouble at all was eggs. Scrambled eggs to be exact. "Why you..."

Night giggled. "What?" She asked innocently.

Shinryu shook his head. "Nothing." He placed Night's bowl on the ground and poured some of Night's food into it. "There, eat up." He said as he stood and turned around to look at the now empty pan of scrambled eggs and a smirking Night with some egg crumbs on her mouth looking at him with the childish 'I didn't do it' look. "NIGHT!"

Night giggled again. "I am sorry... I was hungry and I couldn't wait. I guess you have to eat my food now."

Shinryu couldn't hide the eyebrow tic now. He breathed in calmly, before his entire demeanor became dark and menacing... Enough so Night backed away in fright. "Don't you EVER TOUCH MY FOOD AGAIN!" He shouted before calming back down almost instantly and continued saying as if nothing ever happened. "Oh well, looks like I won't be eating breakfast now. I really wonder why though?"

Night gulped inaudibly. This was the first time she had EVER seen him react like that to her eating his food. It surprised her and at the same time... She liked it. It made her think he was an inner Dark type.

Shinryu shrugged and walked out of the kitchen to his backpack and started to dig through the outer pockets until he found what he was looking for. "Ah..." He pulled out a Machoke Bar, a new Energy Bar that was being made and rivaled the popularity of the RageCandyBar in Johto and Kanto. He tore the wrapper open and took a bite.

Night was staring at where Shinryu was before he left, wondering what had happened. _That was weird... He yelled at me for the first time... And I LIKED it! What is going on! I am usually the one who yells at him for something like that! _She mentally shrugged and walked out of the Kitchen, ignoring her Pokemon food. She watched as Shinryu sat on the bed eating one of his new candy bars he really loved. _He is getting more dominant... I can see that already... He isn't being as submissive whenever I make a snide comment or threaten him... I think that the Pull is now starting to affect him..._

Shinryu sighed as he took the last bite of the Machoke Bar, wishing he had some more to eat. "Ah... That hit the spot." He looked up at Night with a smile. "Hey girl. How would you like to go swimming with me in a bit? I heard this ship has an indoor pool on Deck 2."

Night contemplated this for a minute. "Sure, why not? I see no real reason not to go swimming."

Shinryu nodded. He stood up and stretched, his back popping loudly as he leaned back and then forwards, twisting side to side to make sure his back was completely popped. "Ah... That feels much better..."

"Do you always have to do that? It's unbecoming..." Complained Night. "You might develop arthritis from it."

Shinryu shrugged. "Its how I get knots out of my back. No one has given me a massage in a long time so I had to come up with a method to get them out."

Night grimaced. "But... Oh fine. I can't stop you from doing it so why even bother..." She whispered under her breathe as Shinryu grabbed his towel and changed into his shorts in the bathroom.

Shinryu walked into the room, drying himself off with his towel as Night came in behind him, using her horn to make sure the door was shut. "Ah... That was relaxing..."

Night watched as Shinryu finished drying himself off before pouncing onto him the moment he finished and set the towel down.

"Gyah! Night! What are you doing?"

Night looked down into Shinryu's eyes. "Going to bed of course." She said, nuzzling into Shinryu's chest.

Shinryu sighed... "Alright Night. You deserve it after all."

*Three weeks later*

Night growled angrily at the Aggron that stood before her.

Shinryu stood behind her calmly, staring at the man who was behind the Aggron. "Hmmm... You are going to regret that. Night, use Shaded Sequence."

Night nodded. Her claws began glowing a brilliant black as she began running at the Aggron with impressive speed, zigzagging across the field to confuse the large Steel Pokemon.

"... NOW!" Called Shinryu.

Night's entire body pulsed as a shockwave of Dark energy burst from her, pelting the Aggron with massive blobs of it.

"Hah! Aggron is a Steel-"

Shinryu smiled. "I know."

The Aggron's trainer looked at Shinryu strangely.

Night's mouth opened wide and fire began to gather along her teeth.

"The Shadow Claws and Quick Attack were distractions as she got in close. The Dark Pulse was merely a weakening tactic. And this Fire Fang, it will finish your Aggron. NOW!"

Night darted forward and bit into the Aggron's shoulder hard, fire spreading from her fangs and into the Aggron's wound.

"Aggron!" Shouted the Trainer, watching in shock as his pokemon fainted.

Shinryu nodded. "Looks like I win." He turned to Night. "Good job."

The Aggron's Trainer returned his fainted pokemon. "You win... By the way, my name is Zachary."

Shinryu looked at the Trainer. "Nice to meet you Zachary. My name is Shinryu, and this is Night."

Zachary held out his hand. "That was a good battle. I never expected an Absol to win against my Aggron. You are a fine Trainer."

Shinryu shrugged. "I've been Training for about eight or so years now." He smiled at Night. "And Night here was my first pokemon."

Zachary smirked. "Then I guess that would explain why she is such a strong pokemon."

Shinryu chuckled. "She was captured willingly by the way."

Zachary looked at Shinryu dumbstruck. "Why?"

Shinryu winked. "Our secret." He turned and started walking down the hallway. He looked over his shoulder at the still dumbstruck Zachary. "Talk to you sometime later. Trema is going to be a large place. Maybe we'll meet up again somewhere?"

"Attention all passengers: We have arrived at the Dock. Please prepare to leave the Ship if your Trainer ID is 49245, 10012, 56732, 00923, 65470, 30159, or 87899."

Shinryu smiled at Night as he was still walking. "Well, looks like we're finally here. Ready to see just how Elite this Region really is?"

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><p><strong>Me: Finally! A new Chapter has been uploaded. Sorry about the 20 review BS, but I wanted to give myself some breathing room to write this up. And I think it turned out great! Stick around for the next chapter! The real challenges will ensue! (Btw, I can't remember whether or not an Absol can learn Fire Fang... Please bare with me.)<strong>

**_Warning: Flamers will be shot on sight._**


	3. Welcome to Trema!

**Hey all! I am back for the next establishment of Trema: Land of Victory. We last left off with Shinryu and Night preparing to leave the Ship and finally set foot in the Elite Region of Trema. I forgot to mention one thing before I started this story: Trema is a place where every single pokemon can be encountered! This means this region is literally a gathering ground of many kinds of Trainers.**

**_Shinryu: Hey man. Sorry I got pissed at ya last Chapter._**

**_Me: Its alright. I was expecting that anyway so I wrote it down ahead of time._**

**_Shinryu: o_O_**

**_Me: Yup. I know what you will do, when you will die, and everything else in between._**

**_Night: OMG!_**

**_Me: Heheh... Yup. However I won't kill him... Yet. And I know the same thing for you Night._**

**_Night: ... Wierdo._**

**_Me: :-/ ... Anyhow on with the Story!_**

**_Shinryu: Much better. This isn't a show. A show implies visual images to see and go with the script._**

**_Me: Who says this isn't a script?_**

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><p><strong><strong>Chapter Three: Welcome to Trema! Battles, Contests, and a WHOLE lot of Pokemon!<strong>**

As Shinryu walked down the ramp into the port of Auburn City, he smiled at the scenery before him. The land surrounding the small but prospering city was lush and beautiful, filled with many different berry trees whose scents made Shinryu's mouth water. Pidgey, Taillow, Starly, Pidove, and Spearow flew through the sky somewhat peacefully. Shinryu smiled as he finally set foot back on land and began walking towards the Auburn City Embassy. _So this is Trema? Who knew that so many different pokemon just could be seen in the skies alone. I wonder what the native pokemon are like? _He thought as he was asked by an Employee for his Trainer ID.

"And your ticket please." She said, blushing slightly at her slight mistake.

Shinryu nodded and handed over his boat ticket also. The woman smiled slightly and then scanned both the ticket and the ID on her device.

"There we go. All approved. So you're one of the ones Oak asked for huh?"

Shinryu smiled as he took back his ID, placing it into his wallet. "Yes I am."

"Good! The professor asked me to tell you that he'll be waiting in the Auburn Pokemon Center for you and the others he requested."

"Others?" Asked Shinryu cautiously.

"Yes others. There are 15 people on my list of VIP. So far you are the 13th to check in." She smiled and waved. "Now have a good day sir!"

Shinryu sighed softly as he stepped past the checkpoint and walked out of the relatively small building. Once outside, he pulled a white and black ball from his belt that looked like the Yin-Yang design. "Come on out Night!" He shouted, tossing the pokeball into the air.

With a flash of white and black light, Night the Absol re-materialized as the pokeball automatically returned to its owner's hand.

She yawned widely and stared up at Shinryu.

"Okay girl, lets go to the Pokemon Center to get my Pokedex updated for the Trema Issue."

Night nodded silently, being careful not to speak while surrounded by a bunch of people.

As the two walked towards the Pokemon Center, a man wearing silver stepped in front of them, blocking their path.

"Hold it. You're one of the Trainers from out of region correct?" He demanded.

Shinryu carefully hid his glare while smirking. _A challenge already? This is too easy. _"Yes I am. Shinryu of Hoeen at your service."

"Good! I want to see how your skills are! The pokemon of Trema are no lightweights, so you'd better give it your all if you want to succeed in battle against me." (A/N: Well, another battle. This time, the Pokemon won't be as familiar to you. So keep your seat under your butt and hang on for the wild ride) He unclipped an Ultra Ball from his belt.

Shinryu's smirk grew wider. "Bring it on then. Night, your up."

Night nodded, immediately going ridged as she awaited her commands.

The Challenger threw his Ultra Ball. "Come on out Mystra!"

The Ultra Ball opened and standing on the field was a slender, black humonoid creature with purple streaks on its sides and a black sash tied about its waist. "Vampiria!" It shouted, glaring at the pokemon before it.

Shinryu looked at the pokemon before him and thought: _Crap... I forgot, I don't have my Pokedex updated yet so I can't tell what this one is! _He looked at Night and nodded simply.

"Mystra! Use Focus Blast on that Absol!"

The imposing Pokemon nodded, its eyes flashing crimson as it raised its left arm as a burst of energy shot out towards Night.

Night opened her mouth and a blob of darkness gathered before being shot out towards the energy, hitting it and causing a violent explosion. She then rushed forward as her scythe began glowing white.

"Mystra, use Shockwave."

"Vaaaampir!" Shouted the Pokemon, releasing a wave of electric energy around her.

Immediately Night slashed at the ground below her and began to dig down under the reach of the Shockwave, letting the electricity to become grounded and useless.

"Damn, that Absol of yours is intelligent. Speaking of which, why aren't you giving it any orders?" Asked the Trainer as Mystra dodged from an attack from below as Night burst upwards from the ground in an attempt to startle the Pokemon.

"Because." Stated Shinryu. "She knows what I would tell her in battle. She is doing precisely what I want her to."

"If you say so. Enough of this! Mystra, use Chaos Wheel!"

Shinryu frowned. _Chaos Wheel?_

"Vaaaam-pir-i-A!" Shouted Mystra as the purple marks on its sides began to glow brightly and the sash began to darken.

Night paused in her assault, cautious.

Mystra then growled darkly as Night's world darkened, the light of the sun soon replaced by darkness.

_What's going on? _She thought.

A dark, malicious laughter echoed throughout her mind. _"Well well, got caught now have you? You're faster than most Absol's I've gone up against, but I still know you don't have what it takes to take me down. Now sit tight and enjoy your pain."_

Night screamed in agony as a large gash opened in her side.

(Meanwhile)

Shinryu watched in disbelief as Night stood immobile, her eyes glazed as she was locked in a Cage of blue and red light as the pokemon named Mystra was chanting parts of her name over and over again.

"Your Absol is done for man. Chaos Wheel is a signature move of the Vampiria evolution chain. It locks their victim within their own mind and allows their own fears to damage them inside their mind. Think of it as a more powerful Dream Eater without requiring your Pokemon to be asleep." Said the Trainer smugly.

"Night! Snap out of it! Use Calm Mind!"

(Back inside Night's head)

Night screamed in agony as her flesh felt like it was being burned away.

**"Night! Snap out of it! Use Calm Mind!"**

_"Aww... Looks like your trainer is trying to save you... Oh wait, you are in love with him! Well too bad girly, because once you're dead he's going to be ALL mine."_

(Back on the Field)

"Look, just give up. Soon she'll die if you keep this up. Please, I don't want Mystra to kill another Pokemon because of their Trainer's mistake."

Shinryu merely pointed at Night. "I don't think she's given up just yet. So I won't give up on her."

Night was struggling against the bars of energy, snarling savagely as her crimson eyes flashed purple and then the cage broke, sending her down to the ground below her.

Mystra was hit by the backlash of the Cage as it was broken too soon, knocked to the ground.

Night stood up on shaky legs, growling as she glared at the Vampire Pokemon before her. _He will **NEVER **be yours!_

"Mystra!" Shouted the Trainer, kneeling next to his fallen Pokemon.

Mystra looked up at her trainer and then away, a single tear falling from her cheek.

"Its okay, you did your best. Now come on, we have to get your to the Pokemon Center." He picked up the smaller Pokemon easily and began to walk towards the Pokemon Center, pausing to look back. "You'd better get your Absol checked out too. She took a pretty nasty beating in the Chaos Wheel."

Shinryu nodded. He looked at Night. "Can you walk? Or do I have to carry you?"

Night nodded twice.

Shinryu chuckled, knowing that she nodded twice to answer for the second option for anything. He walked over to her and gingerly picked the canine-like Pokemon into his embrace and began walking to the Pokemon Center with the man who challenged him. "So, what is your name?" He asked casually.

"My name is Kain. So you must be the Trainer known as Shinryu the Dragonsong correct?"

Shinryu looked at Kain. "So even Trema has heard of me huh?"

Kain nodded. "Who wouldn't hear about the man who trains only Dark or Dragon types that actually trains with his Pokemon and has defeated the Champion of every region except Trema? You pretty much deserved the VIP pass that my mother gave Oak to give to the 3 top trainers of Kanto, Johto, Hoeen, Sinnoh, and Unova."

"Your mother?" Question Shinryu as the door to the Pokemon Center opened automatically and they entered the building.

"Yes, my mother is Professor Jean Alpine. And I am also the son of the Gym Leader that presides over this town."

"Who is the Gym Leader of this town, if I may ask?"

Kain smiled. "His name is Alberon. Water-type user. Pretty nasty pokemon teams if you ask me."

"Oh?" Asked Shinryu. "And why is that?"

"Because he changes his team like the three other Gym Leaders that regulate the Inner Gate Mechanism. It keeps inexperienced trainers from going out into places that would challenge probably even the Champions of other regions."

Shinryu handed his pokeballs to the resident Nurse Joy for a full checkup and inserted his Trainer Card into the PC next to the Counter to check his account balance. _2,000,000 Poke Dollars... That should last me a fair while unless Dad withdraws some for more research... _"So how does he do that?"

"Well, beginning trainers from this region are allowed to challenge any Gym Leader they want in any order within the Inner Gate that surrounds this part of the region. They challenge each leader at their own pace until getting half of the League Badges required for entering the League Challenge. And its a Tourney here... No straight shot to the championships like those other Regions do. They weed out the weaker trainers before they have the chance to really do their pokemon some serious harm." Kain paused as he let Shinryu withdraw a sum of cash from the PC terminal and collected his Pokemon from the Nurse.

"Thank you Mr. Varias. Your Pokemon are very healthy and strong. Just to be expected from the man who is now known as the Champion Breaker."

Shinryu nodded and took his pokemon, setting them back into his belt. _Now who should I withdraw, if at all? _He wondered to himself as he opened his Pokemon storage system.

Kain resumed his once he was sure Shinryu's attention was back onto him. "Well, anyways. The first four Leaders all decided that their Badges would be the keys required to open the Gate Mechanism and that since trainers could challenge them in any order, they would ask how many badges they had before they accepted the challenge. And they pretty much demand to see your badge case so they aren't lied to... Lying to get a badge early is cause enough to get someones Training License suspended for ten years or more."

Shinryu nodded. "So this is a very serious region to live and compete in then. I like the challenge it offers." _Should I use Shadow? Night might like the company of another Absol... But then again, she might sooner bite him than an opponent should I send the two into a double or triple battle with him._

Kain smiled. "Here, I have a gift for you. May I use the PC for a minute?"

Shinryu, startled, nodded as he logged himself out of his System.

Kain then started typing furiously on the keypad until a Pokeball materialized to the side of the PC. Next to it came a black and purple egglike solid. "This..." Reffering to said egglike thing. "Is a Vampiria or Selestam egg. I know it is about ready to hatch, but I never wanted to hatch it myself. Would you like it?"

Shinryu smiled. "Certainly. But how does the Vampiria or Selestam evolutionary line work?"

Kain smirked. "Much like the Ralts line does. Remember how there is Gallade and Gardevoir? And how Gallade are entirely male?"

"Yes of course I do."

"Well the evolutionary line of the Pokemon Soul and Soullas are very much the same. Soullas evolves from Soul at a certain point, and then the trainer may choose which path they may take. For Selestam you use a Dawn Stone, and Vampiria you use a Dusk Stone. Selestam is pure Psychic. Vampiria is Dark and Psychic, a very tricky combination lemme tell ya. Do you accept this Egg?"

Shinryu nodded. "Yes. It'll be a change to have a new little one into my party. Plus now I don't have to send off one of my current six pokemon."

Kain handed Shinryu the Egg. "By the way, Professor Oak is upstairs waiting for you and the others in Suite three-A."

* * *

><p><strong>Hi all... Sorry for my unexplained absences. I have a hard time getting to a computer anymore and I don't trust flashdrives because people have hacked them before with me. I will update as often as I can, and I do have other stories and commitments... Especially to this wonderful facebook game called Kingory.<strong>

**Anyway, how is the Chapter? I saw some wonderful reviews before I finished writing this up. You wouldn't believe how much I laughed. (Too bad I had to be quiet... I really wanted to roar. But there are some sleeping peeps in my home)**

**Anyhow. R&R. I'll update as soon as I can. Later ;)**

**-Shinryu Varias,  
>AKA Kuroreikon, Veloran Darkfyre, and The Leader of the Dark Circle - (Look on FictionPress for more when I give you the link. I might post my own original story there)<strong>

**MAJOR EDIT: Removed the Mystic Type because I have testing things out, the balance so far in the Pokemon Series would've been thrown way out of whack.**


	4. Enter Hyato!

_Good Day! This is my first chapter on this series, as many of you are bound to figure out I, Known as Du Mar, know Velorhan and was asked to co-author this story, seeing as I helped him design the Trema region. Though GameFreak holds all the rights to Pokemon, Velorhan and I equally share the unique Pokemon, the Characters, and the Story. But not the experience, that's up to you guys, the readers. I hope you enjoy the story! ~Du Mar_

Hyato walked down the grassy paths of Route 1 tossing a lone pokeball up and down. Every couple of minutes he'd pull a pokegear out of his right pocket and check it. _Only one left. _He thought. As hyato rounded a corner into Pallet town, the harsh morning sunlight peaked over the horizon.

_I'd better hurry if i want to be there on time._ Hyato picked up his speed and quickly arrived at Oak's Pokemon lab. Hyato knocked twice, then waited impatiently.

A young man with black hair and a red headband opened the door. "Good Morning," he said, "My name is Tray-" but Hyato strode past him and through the lab to the study.

Proffesor Oak was working hard at something when Hyato walked in. "Professor Oak," Hyato said. Oak looked up and then smiled.

"Ah, Hyato, good to see you. How are you doing?" Oak said.

"Very good, though when i challenged Lance he was on some boat and I had to wait for awhile. Too bad cause I missed my own boat because of it." Hyato said.

"Oh, where were you going?"

"It doesn't matter because I heard a rumor. Do you happen to know Shinryu the Dragonsong?"

"Hmm." Oak sighed heavily, "I knew you'd figure it out one day. Yes I know the boy."

Hyato felt his heart racing. "Then, where is he?" Hyato asked loudly.

"Listen, Hyato, like I said before I would rather you never meet Shinryu, but it can't be helped I suppose. He's in the Trema region now, I trust you know of it?"

Trema, the land of victory. Hyato had heard of it but was going to challenge the Unova region first. However, Shinryu was in Trema. Shinryu, the man who had evaded him, undefeated champion of the Hoenn region. Hyato was one day late to challenge him there, he'd already steeped down and begun travelling, and Steven took his place. _I will defeat him! _Hyato thought. He'd already said this to himself many times, but now a **reliable **source knew Dragonsong's location.

Hyato chuckled to himself, "Trema, Land of Victory, a fitting place for my epic battle with Shinryu. _We will shake the earth and tear the sky! _**Our battle will be told and retold for ages, and finally, FINALLY, I will have my VICTORY OVER THE DRAGONSONG! AND NOTHING WILL STOP ME!** **AND THEN... I er... **I.." Oak stood quietly waiting for Hyato to finish. Tracy meekly peered from behind a door with a look of terror on his face. "So sorry professor," Hyato said, "I... I got carried away again.

The proffesor stood there with his eyes closed for a moment, frowning. He sighed and said, "I understand your desire to fight, and i realize your skill with pokemon, but it is your _attitude _that worries me." Oak picked up a small computer chip, "You are good to your Pokemon, and kind to others, but when a rival appears you get too worked up. If you don't calm down, then I don't know what will happen." Oak walked over to Hyato and patted him on the shoulder giving hima serious look. Hyato returned a look of sheepish guilt, "But, I trust you." Hyato's face brightened a little, "I know that you wont go overboard, and you'll do just fine. Here give me your Pokedex."

Hyato pulled out a battered looking type 1 Pokedex. The case was worn and scratched from years of hard work. Oak opened the back and took out it's microchip, then put it into a little machine along with the other chip. After a short series of whirring and beeping, Oak pulled out the new chip and installed it in the Pokedex, handing it back to Hyato. "I've installed the new data chip, now you will be able to record Trema Pokemon." Hyato looked at his old Pokedex fondly.

"Thank you Professor." Hyato said happily, "NOW! A new region to explore, and an old enemy to face." Hyato ran out of the room with great speed. A few moments later he came back just as fast. "I almost forgot, here," Hyato handed Oak his last Pokeball. "That's my Rhyperion, he was very helpful in my battle against Lance."

With one final farewell Hyato rushed off. Tracy walked over to Oak and said, "He was an... energetic person."

Oak laughed, "Yes, Hyato is always good for a laugh or two."

"Why did he give his Pokemon?" Tracy asked.

"He told me that he always gives away the Pokemon he catches so he can raise new ones in other regions."

"Wow, it must take him a while to get through a region then!"

"Yes i suppose," Oak said, "It would certainly be _faster _if he used the same Pokemon each time. But I don't know if the Pokemon world could handle it."

"What do you mean?" Tracy asked.

"Well, I've known Hyato for many years now, but six days ago he came from Johto to challenge the Kanto region."

"SIX DAYS!" Tracy exclaimed, "HE BEAT ALL OF KANTO'S GYM LEADERS **AND **THE ELITE FOUR IN SIX DAYS!"

"Well, it would've been four if Lance wasn't delayed." Oak said.

Tracy turned to the door where Hyato left, "He must be an amazing trainer!"

"Yes, too bad he ran off before i could explain about the Trema league."

"Why?"

"Well, being able to carry 12 pokemon and having to face 9 gyms are sure to surprise someone who has been following the same rules for his entire career."

"That's probably true." Tracy said.

Oak laughed, "I just hope he doesn't punch someone in the face when they send out a 7th Pokemon."

Tracy looked shocked, "Would he?"

Oak's expression turned serious, "Let's put it this way. When he finally does face Shinryu, I'll be _surprised_ if the earth and sky don't shake and tear..."

_to be continued..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes, I have a Beta Reader/CoAuthor now for this story. :)**


	5. Hyato Enters Trema! Beware World!

_Hello readers! It's Du Mar with another chapter for you to read. I spent a bit longer on this one and got the story caught back up to Shinryu's time. Sorry there aren't any Pokémon battles yet, but Hyato gave all his Pokémon away. I promise for battles in the chapters to follow. Oh and for those of you who enjoy obscure lore I changed the font size to 12 and the font to Minion Pro, (and Bank Gothic for the Pokédex). General disclaimer, Gamefreak owns all rights to Pokémon, only the homebrew Pokémon, the characters, and the story belong to me and Veloran. I hope you guys like the chapter and I'm looking forward to your reviews! ~Du Mar_

**Hi all, this is Veloran Darkfyre and Du Mar. We hope you were all pleased to see the development me and Du Mar have been working on. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five: Hyato Enters Trema! Beware World!<strong>

Hyato arrived in Viridian city, covered in sweat and mud. He leaned against the side of a tree and panted heavily. Summoning up all his might, Hyato continued. He slowly trudged on, accidently cutting his shirt on a tree branch. Hyato was headed for the gym, and he was almost there. Just as he arrived in front of the gym, someone spilled some ketchup on his face. Hyato didn't care though.

The automatic doors to the gym opened. Hyato took a couple of steps in and said "Gaaa-aaary" in a weak voice, then fell down from exhaustion.

Gary Oak, also known as Blue the gym leader of Viridian City, was terrified. At first all he saw was a weak, blood-covered (ketchup), muddy Hyato; Gary feared the worst.

A few moments later Gary's worries were laid to rest when Hyato jumped back up, wiped the ketchup off his face and smiled. "Could I borrow your Pidgeot?" Hyato asked.

Gary laughed in a way that sounded eerily like professor Oak, then he said, "Of course Hyato, but at least wash up first."

Ten minutes later Hyato, now clean and dressed in a blue shirt with brown cargo pants, was flying on Gary's Pidgeot towards Vermillion City. When he arrived, Hyato offered Pidgeot some food, hugged it, and bid it farewell as it flew back alone to Viridian.

It had only been two hours since the sun had rose, Hyato's run from Pallet to Viridian was tiring, but he had all of his energy back now that he was in Vermillion.

Hyato made a bee-line for the port. A trainer he'd met before called out to him from the Pokemon Club, but Hyato hurried on unwilling to spend hours listening to the chairman again.

Wingulls cawed high above the many ships docked in port; Hyato paused to look at them, wondering how they got to Kanto. Hyato dismissed them and moved on quickly through the morning crowd of people arriving in Vermillion. A couple of people were arguing about something, one of them a captain the other a businessman. The businessman got mad and walked off, Hyato used this opportunity to approach the captain. "Good morning Cap'n" said Hyato.

The captain grunted in acknowledgement of Hyato's existence. "Umm, any chance you're heading off to Trema?" Hyato asked.

"That's right, you looking to board?" the captain said.

"Yep, I'll be challenging The Trema league." Hyato said optimistically.

"Well, I'll need three things for you to board, first your TremaDex." Hyato showed the Captain his Pokédex," well it's old, but at least the software's there, secondly I'll need to run your Trainer ID through a computer." The captain led Hyato to a room with a computer. Hyato swiped his Trainer Card.

The computer brought up an Image and some data. The captain looked over the info "Hmm lessee... Hyato... Official Pokédex entries... hmm. ID #00000?" The captain looked back at Hyato, who was waiting patiently, then looked over the data again, "Well," he said after a pause, "it reads as legitimate. Never thought I'd see the day when someone had an ID of all zeroes though." Hyato grinned inwardly as if he had a secret joke that he would never share.

"Alright!" said the captain, "now all I have to see is one of your Pokemon."

Hyato's grin disappeared. "Umm, about that. You can't."

"I have to review your Pokemon to see if you are fit for the Trema region."

"But, I have the Pokédex, and my card is registered for it." Hyato complained.

"Anyone could've bought a black market Dex upgrade, and I've seen a few techy sorts who could hack their cards." The captain said matter-of-factly.

"But I gave away all my Pokémon; I always do when I challenge new leagues." Hyato explained.

"You can't go to Trema without Pokémon, it's too dangerous!" The Captain said.

"I'm a good enough Trainer. I can handle it!" Hyato argued.

"There's no proof of that. I'll need proof that you're a strong trainer. And don't go whippin out yer badges, cause they could be fakes."

Hyato frowned. He _was _a good trainer, but didn't exactly have any proof on him. Hyato thought back to his journey through Kanto, and he remembered something. "So all I need is proof," Hyato said, "like a strong trainer to vouch for me?"

"That'd do," the captain said, "If he's strong."

"Then I'll be back before departure!" Hyato proclaimed, and he left.

* * *

><p>Over at the Vermillion City Gym Lieutenant Surge was preparing for, what he hoped, a good day of challenges. Lt. Surge had just defeated a newbie when one of the gym trainers approached him and said: "H-He's back."<p>

"Who's back?" Surge asked.

"H-H-Hya..." the man muttered.

"Speak up!" Surge ordered, "I can't hear you."

"He's only talking about me," Hyato said as he entered the room.

The look on Surge's face was one of absolute terror. He stepped back and instinctively shielded his face, as if from a grenade, when Hyato approached. Hyato smiled and said reassuringly, "Relax; I'm not here for a Pokemon battle."

Surge relaxed a bit, but didn't drop his guard. "Why are you here then?" The confidence of Surge's voice was not matched by his body language.

"I just want you to tell the ship captain that I'm a strong trainer so he'll let me board." Hyato explained.

"Sure, no problem." Surge went with Hyato, but insisted on walking behind him and avoided speaking much.

Two of the gym challengers who saw the event gossiped. "What was that?" one asked the other.

"I heard that Hyato guy fought so fiercely that Surge had war flashbacks." The other said.

"Really, what happened?"

"No one knows, no one will talk about it, they all avoid the question or change the subject."

"Weird, Lt. Surge isn't afraid of anything..."

Back at the ports, Surge explained that Hyato was indeed a powerful trainer, and Hyato was able to board. Hyato was soon settled in for the long voyage.

* * *

><p>A few days into the voyage, Hyato sat out on deck, bored with nothing to do. He'd realized shortly after boarding that nearly everyone here was headed to Trema. None of them had VIP passes, but they were all ahead of the rest. There were at least 50 of them, which meant a lot of Pokemon battles to pass the time and toughen up for Trema.<p>

Hyato decided it was time to do something, so he went to the pool deck. A couple of trainers were locked in combat, and people were cheering them on. Hyato stepped past them and went up to the water. Hyato was about ready to jump in when a Trainer approached him. "You, You're Hyato right?" He asked.

"That's me," Hyato said.

"I thought so, I heard you were strong, care for a battle?" the Trainer asked.

Hyato raised his fists. "You sure, you look kinda scrawny." He said.

"You know what I meant," The Trainer said, un-amused.

"Do you have a water Pokémon?" Hyato asked.

"Yes, why?"

"I'll race it in the pool!" Hyato said.

The Trainer raised an eyebrow, "Go Akukame," he said as he sent out a Blastoise. "You sure you want to swim against my Pokémon?"

"Of course!" Hyato said, "There's no way I"D let a silly Blastoise beat ME!"

"Well, when you lose you'll be sorry!" The trainer said.

"AND WHEN I WIN!" Hyato began, "YOU have to run around the ship, THREE TIMES."

"Fine!" said the Trainer.

By now a large crowd had gathered to see what was going on. Most everybody was laughing at the idea of a Trainer racing a Blastoise in a swimming contest; but a lot of people were interested, a sailor even volunteered to referee. Hyato and Akukame poised at the end of the pool, ready to launch. "Rules are three laps end to end. No Pokémon moves or outside interference. Ready…" The swimmers prepared themselves. "SET…" Hyato and Akukame leaned forward, "**GO!**"

The race was on, Hyato and the Blastoise dived into the water at incredible speed. The ships pool was longer than normal so three laps end to end in this pool were like twelve laps in any standard pool. The racers swam with great speed, neither losing nor gaining any ground. The crowd that had gathered cheered and screamed, louder than a concert crowd.

Hyato and Akukame finished the first lap, and started on the second. Akukame's Trainer was cheering, "FASTER! FASTER!" out of desperation. The two challengers reached the end and turned back for the second half of the second lap. The people in the crowd that weren't cheering their heads off had started placing bets on the race. The referee was commentating through a megaphone and seemed just as excited as everyone else.

The challengers reached the start of the third lap, and gained speed. They had both gone into a state of absolute swimming, cutting through the waves they had caused like there was nothing there. Hyato began to feel tiredness creeping up his arms and legs, so he pushed harder, he could collapse later. When Hyato saw the over end coming up he did a water-somersault and kicked as hard as he could of the pool's wall. The force of the kick left a dent in the wall and propelled him far past Akukame.

When Akukame saw that Hyato had passed him he gained speed. But Hyato was prepared for this and gained speed too. Hyato pushed his body as hard as he could manage, and ran headfirst into the concrete wall.

Cheering erupted from the crowd at an enormous volume. A couple of Trainers helped Hyato out of the pool, and someone brought him an ice pack. "YEAAAAAAH!" Hyato cheered.

The Blastoise Trainer returned his Pokémon and said, "I don't believe it."

"Well, you have to!" Hyato said, "There's only one way a Trainer can rise to the top! He has to FIGHT! Fight alongside his Pokémon and show them how far he's willing to go. AND I AM THAT TRAINER! I WILL RISE ABOVE AND BEYOND MY RIVALS AND TAKE THE TREMA LEAGUE ON!" Hyato's rant caused even more cheering in his crowd, then the losing Trainer ran around the ship three times.

* * *

><p>A few days after Hyato's race, Hyato looked out over the sea as he ran through a hundred thoughts a second. There weren't very many other newbie trainers whenever he'd start a new league. He usually spent his time challenging the leagues without company, but he was fine with that. Now that his fifteen minutes of fame were over he was alone again.<p>

This time will be different, so many trainers challenging a new league; it might even be a challenge. Hyato sighed, _but not right now_ he thought. With nothing to do Hyato just sat there. He'd already turned down a couple of challenges, but not many people were up on the top deck at the bow of the ship. Most people were up at the stern, looking out for any sign of Trema.

Hyato looked around. There was only one other person up here. It was a woman with short pale green hair. She sat right near the back, looking out to sea. She was wearing a white dress adorned with little bulbs, like a Bulbasaur. Hyato realized he'd been staring at her for minutes when he decided to do something.

Hyato moved closer and sat at the table next to her. "Beautiful day isn't it?" Hyato said.

"It certainly looks that way," she responded.

"Yep, good day for a nap." Hyato said.

"I suppose." she said.

Hyato leaned back in the chair he sat in and closed his eyes.

After a few moments the woman said, "Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

Hyato smiled, "Oh you wanted to know my name? Well my name is Hyato, so glad to meet you."

The woman smiled, having realized Hyato's trick, "Yes, well my name is Lydia, the pleasure is mine."

Hyato sat quiet for a few moments. Then he said, "I'm getting a bit famished. Care to join me for lunch?"

"You're certainly not wasting any time." Lydia said, "But what makes you think I'm free for lunch."

"You'd probably be at lunch already if you weren't." Hyato reasoned.

"That's true. Fine, if you want to treat me to lunch you have to prove yourself in battle first." Lydia said.

"No problem." Hyato said jumping up and putting his fists up like a karate fighter.

Lydia laughed, "No, I meant a Pokemon battle."

"Well, I wouldn't win a Pokemon battle, so fight me instead." Hyato said dancing on his feet. He took a few jabs at the air.

"You don't even know how good I am, why do you think you'll lose?" Lydia said, "What if my team is weak."

"Then you wouldn't be headed to Trema." Hyato said.

"Touché." she said, "nothing gets by you. But why won't you fight me? Is your team weak?"

"Haven't got one," he said.

"You haven't got a team? But I heard you the other day yelling about taking down the Trema league."

Hyato stopped bouncing and sat down. "I will take down the Trema League," He said.

"With your fists?" Lydia said.

"Naah, I'll build a team from the local Pokémon." Hyato said, "I only use Pokemon from the region I'm facing."

"But the Trema region has Pokemon from every region. All Pokemon are native there," Lydia explained.

Hyato turned around slowly and stared intently into Lydia's ocean blue eyes. Lydia blushed. "What?" She asked.

"Is that true?" Hyato said.

"Y-yes." Lydia answered, half entrance, half intimidated by Hyato's gaze.

The ship bellowed it's incredibly loud horn, but Hyato's roar of fury drowned it out. There was a moment of silence across the whole ship, and then the captain's voice came on the intercom. "Um... Yes. Anyways, The Trema region has come into view off the port bow."

There was a scramble of hurried steps all across the ship for the port side. Out across the ocean was land, peeking over the horizon. One of Trema's mountains was clearly in view.

Hyato and Lydia had joined the rest of the Trainers on the main deck to look at the view. "Wow!" Hyato exclaimed, "When do we land?"

"Not for about three days," Said a nearby sailor.

"WHAT!" Hyato roared.

"We need to go around the reef; it'll take three days, "the sailor said, "The VIP ship should be landing soon."

Hyato whipped around and looked at Lydia. "Is it true?" he asked, as if whatever she said was absolute.

"Y-Yes." she said, slightly taken aback.

"But it's right THERE!" Hyato roared. "RIGHT THERE, can't you see!" A couple of the passengers had stepped back. "I can't wait THREE DAYS! HE'LL BE ARRIVING SOON. **I NEED MY VENGEANCE. I CAN'T LET HIM GET THREE DAYS AHEAD! HOW WILL I CATCH UP? **_**I'M COMING TO DEFEAT YOU! I'LL TEAR THROUGH THE WORLD AND NOTHING WILL STOP ME!**_" When Hyato finished his raging he climbed up on the rails and promptly jumped off.

"HYATOOOOO" Lydia cried, but it was too late. Everyone nearby, who had gotten much further away when Hyato was screaming, leaned over the rails. There was a hushed moment, and then the faint shape of a man swimming with alarming speed appeared on the ocean's surface.

Lydia wasted no time at all in running towards the control room. She burst in and cried "Hyato just leapt overboard!"

"What?" the captain exclaimed.

"Aren't you going to do something about it?" Lydia cried.

"What would we do?" one sailor said.

"Go after him on water Pokemon?" suggested another.

"No way," said a third, "we'd never find him!"

"Besides, didn't you see him swimming in the pool the other day?" the first said, "I doubt a Gyarados could catch him."

"Quiet everyone!" roared the Captain. "We need to calm down and find a solution."

But Lydia wasn't calm; Lydia had had enough, she turned and left. She'd have to take matters into her own hands. She quickly threw a Pokeball into the air "Go Skydive!" She yelled.

An Archeops emerged from the Ultra ball. It cawed happily to see Lydia. "No time to play Skydive, we need to go!" Lydia climbed on Skydive's back and they took off instantly.

Hyato toiled through the cruel ocean waves, fighting back and gaining ground, or water as it were. Before long Hyato could feel the waters calming down as he came to the reef. Corsola were everywhere, and he was sure he spotted a Remoraid and Mantine. Hyato rested against a stone to catch his breath.

"Hyatooo!"

Hyato looked around for the voice. No one was there. "Must be the salt water," He said.

"Up here Hyato!"

Hyato looked up to see Lydia on an Archeops. He waved energetically. "Hey Lydia! Couldn't wait to get to Trema also?"

"No you idiot! I came to bring you back to the ship!" She said swooping down and hovering nearby. "Get on."

"I can't," Hyato said, "I've got to get to the Trema region sooner rather than later." Hyato dove back into the water and kept swimming through the shallow reef.

"Well I can't just sit idly by and let you break customs laws!" Lydia said, following Hyato by air.

"Well…then… just… come… with… me." Hyato said between strokes.

"Fine, I'll come," Lydia said, "Just let me help you."

"You'll… take…me…back…to…" Hyato started.

"No I won't!" Lydia exclaimed, "Here! Go Sabre!" Lydia tossed a luxury ball into the air, and in a flash of red light a Kabutops appeared. "Sabre, that's Hyato," Lydia explained, "Take him to shore."

"Kabu!" Sabre said in acknowledgement.

"Cool!" Hyato said as he climbed on Kabutops, "I've never seen a Kabutops in person!" Kabutops carried Hyato through the waves while Archeops brought Lydia through the sky. They arrived very quickly at the shore.

"Finally!" Hyato said, "I've come to the Trema region!" Hyato started jumping around and cheering. Lydia laughed quietly to herself.

"Oh yeah!" Hyato said and turned to Lydia, "Thanks Lydia! No one has ever helped me do something crazy before." Hyato walked up and took Lydia's hand. "Lydia…" he said.

"Y-yes?" Lydia asked, her face turning red.

"Will you," Hyato said, "Will you… be my friend?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I've never really had a friend before, so I think it'd be fun to have a friend to adventure with."

"Sure," Lydia said, "Of course I'll be your friend."

"Sweet!" Hyato said and immediately started looking around.

Lydia turned away, hiding her blushing face. What was it? Why did she feel this way? Hyato was a goof most of the time, but something about him radiated intelligence. And when he was serious, Lydia couldn't control the pace of her heart.

Hyato hadn't noticed Lydia's fretting; he was too busy looking through the nearby foliage for signs of life. It wasn't long before Hyato heard something moving. "I'm coming for you…" Hyato said quietly. Hyato crawled into the bushes and peered through. On the other side he could barely see what look to be a Pokémon.

"You're mine!" Hyato said, leaping out of the bush.

Lydia was just getting off the phone with her friend on the ship, explaining everything, when she heard Hyato scream. Hyato came running from the bushes with something purple attached to his head. "It's on me! It's on me! Help!" He called as he ran about blindly.

"Calm down!" Lydia said. "Just grab it!"

"But it's FIRE!" Hyato roared. "It's FIRE and its ON MY FACE!"

Hyato tripped over a rock, allowing Lydia to get a better look. Whatever Pokémon had attached itself to Hyato's face was just about as big as a face, but seemed to be made of purple flame. "Does it hurt?" Lydia asked.

Hyato stopped for a moment. "Well, actually no." He said. Lydia smacked her forehead.

Hyato reached up and grabbed the Pokémon. He held it out in front of him. It had eyes and a mouth, but its body wasn't flame. Its body was an amorphous watery body with purple flames coming off of it. It seemed pleased to see Hyato.

"Aww," Lydia said, "It likes you!"

Hyato turned his head, the Pokémon did the same. Hyato set the Pokémon on the ground and pulled out his Pokédex. "Alright, let's find out what you are!" Hyato pointed the Pokédex at the Pokémon.

***BZZRT* {POKéMON NOT FOUND}**

"What do you mean 'Pokémon not found'!" Hyato cried.

"Did you install the new chip?" Lydia asked.

"Yes," Hyato said, "Professor Oak did it himself."

"Did you remember to re-waterproof it?"

A painful look of defeat crossed Hyato's face. "I… Forgot." Hyato stood quietly for a moment, then, "**AAAAAARGH! I can't believe I didn't waterproof it!**" Hyato started stomping back and forth screaming in anger. The little fiery Pokémon copied him, letting out a cute little hissing noise.

Lydia pointed her Pokédex at the Pokémon.

***Ping* {Pokédex entry: Djinnit Type: Fire-Water Djinnit are a newly discovered species of the Trema region. They live deep underground or near natural hot springs. They are usually cautious but have been known to be overly friendly to new things.}**

Hyato stopped raging to listen to the Pokédex. When the evaluation was over Hyato turned to the Pokémon. "Well, well," He said, "You Djinnit. I will catch you!" Hyato got out a premier ball from his bag. The Djinnit looked curiously at Hyato.

"Pokéball go!" Hyato called as he threw the premier ball at Djinnit. The ball fell to the ground, and then after shaking a few times, Djinnit broke out. "Nooo," Hyato cried, "It was so close too!"

Djinnit seemed to understand Hyato's reaction. "Alright, this time you're mine!" Hyato said and tossed another premier ball. As soon as Djinnit was in the ball, Hyato jumped on it and squeezed tightly.

"That's not going to work!" Lydia said. The white premier ball shook around in Hyato's arms, then, with a small ding, Djinnit was captured. "It really did work!" Lydia said, amazed.

"YES!" Hyato cheered. He sent the Pokéball into the air. Djinnit came out in a flash of yellow light. "Alright Djinnit, it's time for a name." Hyato said. Djinnit made a noise in agreement. "How about 'sparky'," Hyato said. Djinnit shook his body 'no', "Okay, 'Burnade'? No? 'Infernaw'? No? Okay, what about… 'Etherea'?" Djinnit cried happily at this name. "You like it? Etherea it is!"

"Well, now that that's over with we go, off to find SHINRYU! And when I find him I WILL SMASH HIM TO PIECES! AH-HAHAHAHAHA!" Hyato ranted.

"Well that's great and all, Hyato," Lydia said, "But we're miles from the port town, and Skydive is tired."

"So…" Hyato began.

"We walk." Lydia stated.

"Onwards!" Hyato said, unstoppably, "To VICTORY!"

_To be continued…_

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><p><strong>I hope you all like this Chapter peoples!<strong>


	6. The Trema Pokedex and Night's Confession

****Hello faithful readers! Welcome back to the next installment of Trema: Land of Victory. I said there are 15 people coming in from other regions along with Shinryu, however I am only really going to worry about 4 of them for making things 1) Easy to keep track of, and 2) To prevent a severe case of Writer's Block from having too many options but NOT knowing which to choose!****

****Here are the four Trainers. (A/N: These trainers are each my own individual save files from the following games which I will list beside their names)****

****Name: Kirk (Platinum)  
>Age: 43<br>Hair: Graying brown (AKA Salt-an-Pepper)  
>Eyes: Misty gray (Blind)<br>Skin: Pale Tan  
>Ht: 5'11"<br>Wt: 201 lbs  
>Occ: Blackbelt<br>Specialty: Fighting and Normal****

****Name: Amber (White)  
>Age: 25<br>Hair: Midnight Black w/ blue streaks  
>Eyes: Amber (Duh) w Red flecks  
>Skin: Light Tan<br>Ht: 5'4"  
>Wt: 132 lbs<br>Occ: Ace Trainer  
>Specialty: Mixed<strong>**

****Name: Seth (Yellow)  
>Age: 21<br>Hair: Dark Brown  
>Eyes: Dark Blue<br>Skin: Golden Tan  
>Ht: 6'4"<br>Wt: 186 lbs  
>Occ: PKMN Trainer<br>Specialty: Uses hard-to-train PKMN (PKMN that take 1.25M exp for LV100)****

****Name: Lilly (Crystal)  
>Age: 18<br>Hair: Dark Red w/ Black streaks  
>Eyes: Light Green<br>Skin: White  
>Ht: 5'9"<br>Wt: (PKMN Center Attendant: "Refuses to be weighed... Believe me, I tried. She backhanded me onto my ass")  
>Occ: Beauty<br>Specialty: Water and Fire****

****Now that this is out of the way, lets get onto the story. (Looks around)****

****Umm... I gotta go... My Darkrai and my Giratina are at it again... (Runs off yelling something about not destroying everything in sight)****

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Chapter Six: The Trema Pokedex and Night's Confession (WARNING! Lemon in this Chapter... You have been warned)<strong>**

Shinryu walked up the steps with Night behind him. They were quiet until they reached their destination. "Alright Night, you have to go back into your pokéball. The room is going to be crowded with people, and we both know how you do when surrounded by people when in tight spaces."

Night simply nodded. "Okay... But let me out as soon as you can please? I hate being in that device."

Shinryu nodded. "I promise. Night, return." He held out her pokéball and the beam of red light shot out from the capsule and pulled her inside.

Taking a breath to steel himself, Shinryu opened the door and stepped inside. What he saw was exactly what he expected: A room filled with a variety of Trainers waiting for the renowned Professor to arrive. He found a seat in the back and sat down next to a older man who was petting a small Lillipup that was currently curled up in his lap.

"How many people are here so far?" He asked, directing his voice towards Shinryu.

Startled, Shinryu looked around. "So far... Fourteen including myself and you."

"So we are waiting on one person then? I wish I knew exactly who was here though." He sighed and scratched behind the Lillipup's ear. "But an accident while I was training with my Pokemon occurred and I lost my eyesight. The doctors are trying to figure out how to reverse it, seeing as it was a Flash from my Gallade that caused it."

Shinryu regarded the older man with awe. "A Gallade?"

The man nodded. "Yes. I am from Sinnoh... Before my accident I had been the Champion back home for some time before Cynthia knocked me from my very high pedestal." He let a small smile grace his lined face. "She was a fine Trainer. Most of my challengers could barely even take out my Machamp before they had lost against me. However, her Garchomp did the job faster than I could blink."

Shinryu sat silently, listening to the man with his full attention.

"After that I went up into Mount Coronet for Training. I spent fifteen years in solitude, training with my pokémon hand-to-hand. Learning new moves for Martial Arts all the while. And then this Magnezone ambushed us while we were in the middle of our training. I ordered Rydal, my Gallade, to use Flash without thinking about me also being in the vicinity of the moves power. I got blinded, but the Magnezone's Zap Cannon missed us by inches. Then I ordered him to use Fire Punch to send the Magnezone away while I tried everything I could to regain my sight." He gently reached into his pocket and then handed the Lillipup a poffin. "The last thing I remember of that day was Nurse Joy telling me I would only regain my sight as a miracle, because the strength of Rydal's Flash was strong enough to disable the photo-receptors of the camera recording him... So what is your name son?"

Shinryu smile. "My name is Shinryu Varias Maxwell."

The old man smirked somewhat. "Ah... The Maxwell family is well known throughout the world. Are you by any chance related to old Maximillian Redford? The CEO of Triam Inc.?"

Shinryu nodded, and then realizing the man was blind again stated. "Yes sir. Maximillian Redford is my Maternal Grandfather... However I prefer to go by Kagemaru for my Family name." His eyes took on a darker look to them and he was thankful that the older gentleman sitting next to him was blind for that. "And may I ask you for yours?"

A smile graced the man's lips. "Forgive me, I had believed I had mentioned it. The name is Kirk, Matthew Kirk."

"Good to meet you Matthew." Shinryu said politely.

"Oh please Shinryu, call me Kirk. Its what the Professors know me as."

Shinryu felt a smile grace his own face. __He's blunt about his preferences on how he treats others and how he is to be treated.__"Oak knows me very well. He gave me my Pokedex personally."

"Ah... So you are one of those Trainers that has extreme promise in Oak's opinion. Tell me, what is your record for beating the Championships?"

"Hmm... I never really counted the times I beat Hoenn... More than I have fingers and toes that's for sure. I've beaten the Kan-Johto League about twice, the Sinnoh League once because Cynthia used a different strategy against me recently, and finally I have beaten the Unova League two times."

Kirk nodded. "I am very impressed. You know how to conduct your pokemon in battle from what I can tell with that record. Hoenn... Must be your homeland huh? You mentioned it first, but I would like to be certain though. All I have is the pitch of your voice to rely on and Ashia's sense of smell."

Shinryu nodded before realizing again that the one he was talking to was blind. "Yes, I am a Hoenn native. Everyone knows me there and that's the main reason why I wanted to leave Hoenn... Stupid annoying fan-girls. There was this one pink haired chick with a large forehead who tried to ask me out! She couldn't have been older than thirteen either with the way she and her friends acted. Apparently they were on some sort of vacation to Hoenn and heard about me because of the TV airing one of my battles against Steven before he stepped down for Wallace."

Kirk smirked as he turned his head ever so slightly in Shinryu's direction. "Did I tell you I am related to the Stones and that Steven is technically my Godchild?" He asked in a somewhat playful tone.

Shinryu resisted the urge to start laughing because someone sat down in the last seat in the front row. "That's everyone now. But where is Professor Oak?" He wondered softly as he spoke his thought under his breath.

"Oh no need to worry now Shinryu. I've been here the entire time."

Shinryu jumped with surprise at hearing the voice that came from behind him and turned to see none other than Professor Oak sitting in a chair behind him. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Oak smiled sheepishly. "I am really sorry about scaring you, however I had thought you had seen me already. I am surprised with how extremely at how you are observant of pokémon battles that it doesn't apply to your every day living."

Shinryu sighed. "I guess you're right. I really should pay more attention to what is going on." He then resisted the urge to shiver. __Why do I get the feeling someone powerful wants to challenge me?__He wondered before he looked back at Oak. "So, why did it take you so long to get here?"

Oak laughed. "It didn't take that long. After all, I asked Skyla to allow me to use one of her Cargo Planes to get me here quicker. I was slightly delayed by someone who wanted to get to Trema, and had to ask me to get here. And a word of warning, don't take any of your challengers lightly. Some might be more powerful than you believe." He said with a smile before he stood up and began to walk up to the front of the room.

Everyone quieted down as the Professor stood in front of the gathered VIPs from the various regions. "Hello one and all. I am pleased to see the strongest Trainers from their regions here and willing to participate in one of the most Epic League Challenges in place for anyone." Oak paused as he scanned the room, smiling at those who had gathered. "You are all the best of the best according to the current records of winning the Leagues of Unova, Sinnoh, Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto; combined or separately. I hope you all have a good time here, because this WILL be the most challenging of the Leagues... I believe in you all, and have fun!"

The crowd nodded together and began to stand up.

"Your Generation Six Pokedex upgrades are up here. You can either choose to keep your old model and update the software, or just get a new Pokedex and have your old data transferred." Stated professor Oak as he gestured to a device behind him.

Shinryu had immediately stepped up to the device and inserted his old Generation Three Pokedex into the slot that was labeled 'upgrade'. He waited for a while before the light flashed green and then took his Pokedex out of the device and left the room after saying goodbye to Kirk and Oak, who were talking amongst each other.

* * *

><p>Shinryu walked to the PokéCenter front desk and politely waved Nurse Joy over. "Evening Joy, I would like to rent a room for the night. Is there any available?" He asked.<p>

Nurse Joy smiled and nodded. "Why of course. But its only just barely the afternoon time. I'll take your payment now and you can have your key. Why don't you go explore the City?"

Shinryu smiled and nodded. "Thanks." He pulled a wad of bills from his wallet and handed them to Joy, who gave him a key labeled with the number '14'.

"Have a good day sir Maxwell." Said Joy with a smile.

Shinryu nodded and walked out of the PokéCenter. He pulled out Night's pokéball and let her out. "Okay girl, we're going to go look around town for a bit."

Night glared at Shinryu slightly before heaving a sigh and nodding. _Okay... But I when we get back to the PokéCenter for the night... _She stopped her train of thought there before she ended up pouncing Shinryu in the middle of the street.

Shinryu smiled at Night and then began to walk. He looked up at the imposing building that was Labeled "Triam Inc.". _Dad... You'd better be spending my money wisely. I will not be afraid to sue you if you just used it all on some silly project... Then again, its a good thing I withdrew half of what I had in the account when I got here. _He smiled as he returned his attention to the streets and stopped when his stomach growled. "Hmm... I think its time for Lunch." He looked about the street and smiled as he saw a restaurant nearby.

Shinryu walked into the building with Night in tow.

"Umm... I am sorry sir, but no pokémon allowed in the building." Said the waitress who was cleaning a table. "You will either have to leave the Absol outside, or return it to it's pokéball."

Night looked up at Shinryu. _Please just let me wait outside?_ She thought desperately.

Shinryu sighed. "Alright... Night, go wait for me. I'll be outside shortly." He then nodded at the waitress as Night quickly went outside and walked up to the counter and looked over the menu. "Alright, I'll have a jumbo Bacon Cheeseburger Combo. A large order of fries, and a large soda." He said just as the cashier had stepped up to get his order.

The Cashier nodded and quickly entered it into her register. "Alright, will there be anything else with that today?" She asked with a smile.

Shinryu shook his head. "Nope. That's all."

"Alright, that will be five hundred pokédollars."

Shinryu nodded and pulled out five hundred notes and handed them to the cashier, who took the cash and placed it in the register.

"Thank you. Your number is one hundred twenty six." Said the Cashier as she handed Shinryu his receipt. "Have a nice day." She smiled happily.

Shinryu nodded as he took the receipt and walked to stand next to the door, where he could keep an eye on Night as she was conversing with the pokémon of the other Trainers who were in the restaurant.

* * *

><p>Night sighed as she was laying down on the concrete. <em>"When will we get home?" <em>She wondered to herself as a strange canine pokémon approached her.

"_Hello. I am Rex." _Said the wolf-like pokémon. Its fur was a dark gray with black streaks along its sides and a white streak down its back. Its charcoal black eyes bored into Night's crimson eyes. _"Pleased to meet you."_

Night regarded the pokémon before her. _"I am Night, and I would be more pleased to meet you if I knew what you were."_

The wolf-like pokémon laughed. _"I am a Wolfe. And in case your wondering, we are Dark and Normal in type."_

Night regarded Rex. _"So... That means you take some serious damage from the Fighting types."_

"_Sadly... Yes." _Said Rex with embarrassment. _"However, I am here to greet you. I can tell your not from this land." _He watched Night from the corner of his eye. _"The people of the mountains tell of stories about the Absols. Your kind are very popular and worshiped here as gods by the mountain-dwellers."_

"_Really now? That's interesting. And if your just trying to get me impressed with your knowledge, it won't work. I already have my heart set on someone... And you aren't him." _Night stood up as Shinryu walked out of the Restaurant carrying a closed bag. _"Have a good day."_

* * *

><p>Shinryu heard his number called so he walked up to the counter and picked up the bag with his food and left the building. "So, what kind of pokémon are you?" He asks as he stares at Rex. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Pokedex.<p>

***Ping* {Pokédex entry: Wolfe. Type: Normal-Dark. Wolfe is the evolved form of Wolen, the puppy form of the Ookari canine chain. A Wolfe has a bite powerful enough to snap through a steel girder with ease.}**

Shinryu nodded as he placed his Pokedex back into his pocket. "Interesting. Do you have a trainer?" He asked Rex.

Rex shook his head.

Shinryu smiled. "Would you like to come along with me?" He asked again.

Rex shook his head again.

Shinryu nodded. "Okay, that's fine." He smiled at it. "Okay, come on Night. Lets get back to the PokéCenter."

Night thought: _Finally!_

* * *

><p>Shinryu unlocked the door to his room and let Night enter before he closed the door. He sat down at the table and pulled out his meal. "Okay, so what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" He asked Night.<p>

Night had jumped up onto the bed and curled up. "Yes, I wanted to talk to you for a while now. Except YOU kept on putting it off on the travel here." She growled.

Shinryu sighed. "I am sorry." He took a bite from his burger and stood up, taking his meal with him as he went to go sit down next to the slightly miffed Absol. He offered her a bite, which she gladly took one. "So, when do you want to talk?" He asked softly, feeling a little bad for ignoring her like he did.

"As soon as you are done eating and then lock the door." Stated Night as she closed her eyes.

Shinryu nodded as he began to finish his meal.

(Five minutes later)

Shinryu stood up from where he sat on the bed and walked over to the door, locking it. "Night?" He called.

Night lifted her head and regarded Shinryu. "Good... You're done." She walked off of the bed and went to where Shinryu was standing. "Well, what I wanted to tell you is something else about being the Chosen of a Guardian."

Shinryu tilted his head as he looked down at Night. "Oh?"

"Well, a Guardian and their Chosen are Soulmates." She said softly. "We choose the one who we will protect for the rest of our lives... And the one who will become our life partner. A Guardian is always the opposite Gender of their Chosen because of this, because Arceus doesn't exactly condone homosexuality."

Shinryu's mind was somewhat short-circuited as he was listening to Night, who was gently pushing him towards the bed.

"We are meant to be together... This is the reason why your past relationships with woman have always ended badly... You have always known on an instinctual level that we are meant to be together, even if your conscious self didn't know this." Said Night as she gently let Shinryu sit back down on the bed. She jumped onto the bed and nuzzled into his side. "And... I love you." She whispered.

Shinryu nodded with a glazed look on his face.

Night giggled as she leaned in and pressed her mouth against Shinryu's, causing him to fall onto his back. "This is going to be fun." She whispered into his ear.

Shinryu's eyes snapped wide open as he gasped loudly.

**Lemon Starts, Scroll to next line of Centered Bold if you wish to skip**

Night smiled widely as she pressed her paw closer to Shinryu's crotch. "Do you like that?" She whispers softly, licking his ear sensually. She giggled again as Shinryu shivered. "I'll take that as a yes." She said as she continued to rub at his crotch.

Shinryu felt like he was in heaven. However, he didn't realize exactly what it meant to be a Chosen until now, all of his past experiences with women have come to this... He was meant to be with Night, and no one else. "Mmm!" He moaned softly as Night licked at his neck and then she bit down softly.

Night giggled again. "You definitely like this huh?" She then used a claw to tear Shinryu's pants along the side, and used her teeth to toss them aside. "Mmm... Is someone getting a little hard?" She asked, seeing the tent in his black and white boxers. "Nah... That's not little now is it?"

Shinryu couldn't help but blush as Night pressed her paw closer to his crotch, rubbing against his member sensually. He panted as he felt Night begin to bite along his collarbone.

"You are all mine." Night whispered into Shinryu's ear. "This," She grabbed Shinryu's sack through the boxers hard enough to get his attention, but not enough to hurt him. "is all mine."

"Y-y-yes!" Moaned Shinryu, turning his head to let Night have more access to his neck.

Night smirked as she used her claws to tear the rest of Shinryu's clothes off of him. "Oh my... You're bigger than I thought." She said as she stared down at Shinryu's nine inch monster. She looked at Shinryu's face, who had his eyes closed as he was panting softly. "So what should I do... Love?" She asked, nibbling on his ear softly. "Should I just let you have your way with me? Or should I show you just what I can do?" She asked again, biting down onto his neck.

Shinryu groaned as Night wrapped her paw as best as she could around his cock.

"Tehehe... Someone is very submissive." Night whispered as she began to stroke him softly. "Well, I'll just show you what I can do. And THEN I'll let you have your way with me." She slowly licked from his neck up to his cheek before she brought her muzzle down to Shinryu's crotch and licked the tip softly, causing a loud moan from the Man known as the Dragonsong. She smirked as she licked again, bringing another load moan from him. "Do you like that?" She asked in a seductive voice.

"Ye-yes!" Ground out Shinryu, his voice deep and husky with arousal.

Night giggled before she opened her mouth and engulfed him, causing Shinryu's breath to hitch in his throat before he moaned loudly. Inwardly, she smirked as she started to bob her head up and down slowly, causing Shinryu's breathing to become very erratic. With every motion she did, she increased her speed slightly, making Shinryu's breathing become pants.

"Ugn... N-N-Night! I... I... I am going to..." He says before he groans loudly, his entire body going slack.

Night's eyes widened as her mouth was filled with Shinryu's seed, and she began to swallow as best as she could so she didn't drown in it. As soon as the torrent lightened up, she pulled her mouth off of his member and licked her lips. "Mmm... How was that?" She asked as she looked at Shinryu, who was panting softly.

"That... Was... Amazing..." He whispered in between pants, his eyes glossy.

Night smirked as she nuzzled Shinryu's cheek. "It's your turn now." She whispered, bringing Shinryu out of his reverie.

Shinryu looked at Night, who was grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "Huh?"

Night tilted her head. "Are you telling me that with all the time you spent with women, you don't know about eating one out?" She asked, incredulous.

Shinryu shook his head. "Umm... No, I never got further than second base." He said sheepishly.

Night deadpanned. "Really? You have NEVER gotten further than that?" She asked seriously before laughing hard. "Oh my... Well, I'll just tell you what to do okay?"

Shinryu nodded. "Okay..."

Night laid down on her back. "First, you place your face here." She gestured to her crotch were a black slit was surrounded by white fur.

Shinryu hesitantly lowered his face and stared at Night's slit. "Okay.. What next?" He asked hesitantly, looking up into Night's face.

Night smiled gently. "You lick it."

Shinryu looked back down at Night's pussy and then leaned in to gently run his tongue along it, causing her to shiver with pleasure.

"M-more!" Gasped Night.

Shinryu, encouraged by Night's reaction, began to steadily lick along Night's entrance slowly, pressing his tongue firmly against her clit unintentionally.

Night's reaction was a loud gasp followed by a massive moan. "Ooh!"

Shinryu continued licking as Night's moans grew intensity and frequency.

"Ngh... Shin-Shinryu!" Gasped Night, growling with pleasure in the back of her throat. "In-Inside!"

Shinryu obliged by pushing his tongue into Night's pussy, causing her to moan again. He continued, spurred on by her moans as he pushed his tongue in as far as he could and began licking along her inner walls, causing Night to begin bucking her hips against his face as he was pleasuring her.

"Ooh! … Faster!" Growled Night huskily, panting heavily.

Shinryu growled himself, moving his tongue as fast as he could within Night, rubbing against her G-spot.

Night screamed as Shinryu did this, pleasure washing over her in waves. She was now panting extremely fast, growling also.

Shinryu continued at this pace, pinning Night down by her hips as he angled himself to go deeper.

Night soon began to feel the coming release and she began to buck her hips much harder against Shinryu's face. And then she cried out, clamping her legs around Shinryu's neck to keep him in place.

Shinryu's eyes widened in surprise as Night's juices washed over him, and finding he liked the taste he began to lick it up as fast as he could. "Mmm... You taste wonderful." He said as he looked up at Night, whose eyes were glazed over as she was panting slightly.

"And you did that wonderfully... Are you sure that was your first time?" She asked, each word in between her pants.

Shinryu nodded as he grinned at Night.

Night released her hold on Shinryu and rolled around so she could nuzzle Shinryu's face. "Are you ready for the fun part?" She asked huskily, a deep growl emitting from her as she then bit into his collarbone again.

Shinryu growled back playfully. "Yes."

Night giggled as she licked Shinryu's cheek lovingly. "Mine."

Shinryu wrapped his arms around Night's neck as he pulled her closer to him. "And your mine." He growled back.

Night sighed as she got as close as she could to Shinryu. "Yes... All yours." She whispered.

Shinryu looked into Night's crimson eyes, which were bright with emotion. "So... How should we do this?" He asked cautiously.

Night nuzzled Shinryu's chest, being careful to not hurt him with her head-scythe. "How do you think we should?" She countered.

Shinryu adopted a thoughtful look. "I was thinking whatever was the most comfortable on you." He said honestly.

Night grinned and licked his cheek. "Alright, then let me go."

Shinryu nodded and released his hold on Night.

Night then turned to face away from Shinryu and moved onto her forelegs and lifted her tail, revealing her sex to him.

Shinryu, understanding dawning on him, nodded as he grasped her hip with his left hand and used his right hand to guide his cock to her entrance. "Are you ready?" He asked softly.

Night growled as she looked over her shoulder at Shinryu. "Yes!" She shouted.

With a nod, Shinryu thrust his hips forward and pushed in as deep as he could, causing Night to gasp as he filled her. He hilted inside of her and waited.

Night growled and thrust backwards. "Ngh... So big."

Shinryu then began to thrust his own hips, pistoning in and out of Night at a steady pace. "So tight..."

Night lowered her head and began to pant. "F-f-faster!" She moaned.

Shinryu nodded as he wrapped his arms around Night's waist. He then began to pound into Night as fast as he could, causing the female Guardian to moan and cry out loudly.

Shinryu then bit Night's own neck as he continued going as fast as he could, feeling his release around the corner but not close yet. So he began to thrust his hips harder against Night.

Night's eyes widened as she let out a pleasured howl, timing her own thrusts with Shinryu's. "Oooh!" She moaned, clawing at the bed.

Shinryu growled as he continued his assault on Night's pussy, shoving in one final time as her walls began to convulse around him, milking his cock as it released its load into her. He then bit down harder on her neck, drawing blood and claiming her as his, causing Night to howl as loud as she could into the night.

**End of Lemon**

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

_Hyato and Lydia emerged from a clump of trees just south of Auburn city. They looked at the city for a moment, unaware of what awaited them._

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><p><em><strong>How was the Chapter my faithful readers?<strong>_


	7. Hyato in Auburn City! The Search is on!

_**So. It's high time for my Third installment. Hyato arrives in Auburn, but what happens next. It's time to find out. Oh and just so you know, my writing doesn't include a lot of what happened in the last chapter. It might in the future, but as it goes, it's not my style.**_

_**Gamefreak owns Pokémon. But these characters, story, and homebrew Pokémon belong to Veloran and Myself. ~Du Mar**_

_**Indeed it is time f****or a new installment from you Du Mar! I am glad I finally got a hold of you to help me with this... I was in a deadlock with this story before you helped me out. ****~Veloran Darkfyre**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven: Hyato in Auburn City! The search is on!<strong>

Hyato and Lydia emerged from a clump of trees just south of Auburn city. They looked at the city for a moment, unaware of what awaited them.

The first thing that Lydia did was storm off. "I'm sorry!" Hyato said as he trailed after her.

Lydia whipped around and began to say something nasty, but decided against it and resumed storming off.

"Please Lydia," Hyato pleaded, "I didn't mean to delay us so much!"

"YOU kept holding us up for that RIDICULOUS training, and now I'm DIRTY and ACHING and HUNGRY!" Lydia said as she put distance between herself and Hyato. "Go find something to do on your own!"

Hyato stopped, feeling guilty. A loud howl pierced the silence. The howl woke Hyato from his moping and made him remember his glitchy Pokédex. "Off to the Pokémon lab!" He said, regaining some of his zest.

Hyato rushed to the Pokémon Lab. On the way he passed more than just a few people terrified of the tremendous howl that had echoed through the district. Trema's Pokémon lab was bigger than any of the other Hyato had visited. The 'lab' reminded him more of an expensive Silph Co. research facility. Hyato spent a few seconds looking at the building map posted outside, before he went inside.

The inside of the lab looked even bigger than the outside. Multiple people were in the lobby, most of them scientists rushing about. Hyato didn't bother with a front counter; he knew where he needed to be. Hyato didn't notice that, when he walked right through the lobby, security guards had started tailing him. Hyato wound his way through the halls, sure of where he was going. After a bit Hyato rounded a corner and stopped. Something was wrong, either that map had lied to him, or he'd gotten himself lost. Hyato just wanted to find the Pokédex tech lab.

Just then the security guards who had followed Hyato rounded the corner and bumped into him; even though they were twice his size, they fell over. "What are you doing down there?" The two security guards stood up.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback:<em>

_Shinryu growled as he continued his assault on Night's pussy, shoving in one final time as her walls began to convulse around him, milking his cock as it released its load into her. He then bit down harder on her neck, drawing blood and claiming her as his, causing Night to howl as loud as she could into the night._

_End Flashback_

Shinryu pulled slowly out of Night, who collapsed against the bed the moment he let her go while panting heavily. "How was that?" He asked, laying down next to Night and wrapping his arms around her.

Night smiled at Shinryu as she turned her head to look at him. "That was wonderful..." She whispered.

Shinryu smiled back while holding Night to him. "Good... Because it was wonderful for me also." He whispered as he kissed her cheek.

Night purred as she nuzzled into him. "Mmm... I love this."

Shinryu smiled as he held Night to him... And then: "I'm going to get dressed in my traveling gear... Thank the gods you didn't shred those. Just one of my formal wears." He laughed as Night blushed.

"Heheh... I guess that's a good thing." Night said. "But just a few more minutes please?" She asked softly.

"Well, if you want to eat tonight, you gotta let me go into town and pick up some food." Shinryu pointed out.

Night sighed with defeat. "Oh all right... Go ahead. I won't stop you."

Shinryu released Night from his grip as he stood up, glancing at the shreds of clothing that littered the small room that he had rented from the PokéCenter. "Wow... You really shredded them didn't you?"

Night giggled from where she was laying on the bed. "I guess I did go a little crazy."

Shinryu couldn't help but sigh as he went over to where his bag was leaning against the door and opened it, pulling out a pair of heavy black pants that had silver-cloth patterning it. He also pulled out a shirt of black, a silvery vest, a black cap that left his hair free, another pair of white and black boxers much like the ones Night had shredded, and a pair of heavy Gothic black steel-toed boots.

"Oooh! Your wearing that!" Exclaimed Night, perking up and watching as Shinryu had took out his clothes. "I am definitely not going to shred those."

Shinryu chuckled, casting a glance at Night as he pulled on his boxers and then the pants. "Do you like? I bought them a while ago." He then pulled the shirt over his head and then put the vest on. He pulled on a pair of socks, which he had just realized that he needed, and then placed the boots on, buckling them up. And finally, he placed the hat on his head. "Well? How do I look?" He asked, turning slightly to either side so Night could see him.

Night growled. "I think you look stunning. However, I think you're forgetting the gloves."

Shinryu looked down and nodded. "Thanks." He reached into his bag and pulled out two different gloves. "Okay, which would go best with this outfit: A pair of plain black gloves, or these iron-backed mesh gloves?" He asked.

"Oh why not both? Just put the regular gloves on first, and then the mesh ones." Answered Night, her crimson eyes gleaming.

Shinryu laughed. "Good idea. The regular ones will keep the skin from chaffing." He said as he pulled them on. Once he was done, he unlocked the door and turned to Night... "Umm... You'd better clean yourself before we leave."

Night looked down and blushed slightly, her fur was matted with sweat and cum. "Ummm... Yeah..." She quickly jumped from the bed and rushed into the bathroom, soon coming out with a towel and approaching Shinryu. "Could you help me?" She asked innocently.

Shinryu chuckled to himself as he took the towel and began to dry Night off, taking care to get everything. "Alright, there. Now lets go." He said as he opened the door and let Night out before he stepped out of the room and locking it behind him.

* * *

><p>Lydia found herself still storming. She had stormed for quite a ways, causing people who were enjoying the good weather to get caught up in the storm. When Lydia finally stopped storming, she calmed down and got her bearings. She found herself in the shopping district, a suitable place to be when you need new clothes.<p>

Lydia decided to get some new clothes while she could; she didn't want to persuade her way out of being arrested for breaking customs while wearing a torn dress.

* * *

><p>While Lydia was busy shopping, Hyato had 'convinced' the security to leave him alone. When Hyato walked away from the unconscious guards, he made his way to the Pokédex tech lab. The doors to the tech lab opened automatically. Besides Hyato, there was only one person there.<p>

"Hello?" The woman scientist said upon Hyato's entry.

"I came to get my Pokédex fixed," Hyato said. "I forgot to waterproof the seal when Oak installed the TremaDex chip."

"Oh, so you're a friend of Oaks?" The woman said, "My name is Professor Alpine. I am the leading Pokémon expert in this region." Alpine offered her hand and Hyato shook it.

"It's great to meet you Professor," Hyato said politely. "Will you be able to fix my Pokédex?"

"What happened?" She asked.

"Oh I swam here from the boat, so it got damaged."

"I see…" Alpine said. "Of course." Alpine took Hyato's Pokédex, pausing to examine its poor state. "This may take some time," Alpine said when she opened the back, "So could I ask you to run an errand for me?"

"Sure," Hyato said, not wanting to wait around anyway. "What do you need me to do?"

"See that package over there? I need you to take it to the Leader of the local Pokémon Gym." Hyato went over and picked up the package. He was about to leave when Alpine said, "One last thing Hyato," her face grew very dark and VERY scary. "Do NOT challenge the Gym Leader today!"

Hyato, who was unafraid of a stampede of Tauros, showed fear at Alpine's seriousness. "Okay." He said after a moment.

"Good." Alpine said, returning to a cheery face. "Have a nice trip! The Pokédex will be ready tomorrow."

Hyato left the Lab, feeling a bit shaken. Alpine was certainly scary when she wanted to be. Hyato set off to find the Pokémon Gym.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Lydia had finished shopping, now decked out in clothes she described as both 'cute' and 'ready for adventure.' She now wore a sleeveless forest green shirt under a dark brown vest. The vest had enough pockets to carry extra stuff, while not getting in the way of Lydia's 'form.' Her pants were sturdy dark grey pants suitable for any cold or mild environment. Instead of shoes Lydia wore boots, but they were both stylish and comfortable.<p>

Lydia stopped at a food cart to pick up a bite to eat, and some candy for Hyato, when someone bumped into her. "Watch it!" She said, but the stranger just kept walking.

"HEY!" Said a loud voice. "Stop!" Someone tall with white hair stopped the person who bumped into Lydia. "Return what you stole, and I won't turn you into the cops."

The thief returned a bag of money and apologized profusely before walking away as quickly as he could. The man who stopped the criminal handed Lydia her pouch back. "Here is you money miss…"

"Landstar." Lydia said. "Lydia Landstar. Thanks for your help sir."

"No problem." He says before looking down at Night. "But it was Night here who alerted me as to what was going on."

Night responds with a slight affirming growl. "Ah," Lydia said, crouching down, "Thank you Night."

Night seems entranced for a moment, then growls in affirmation. With a pleased look on her face, she closes her eyes and tilts her head in a way that would make most females go 'Kawaii! _What is she?_ Night thinks to herself.

"How cute!" Lydia exclaims. Lydia stands up and redirects her attention to Shinryu.

Shinryu chuckles as Night blushes slightly, looking away. "I think she likes you girl."

"Oh, my name is Richard Maxwell." Shinryu says quickly to Lydia, holding out his hand. "But you can call me Shinryu."

"YOU'RE Shinryu?" Lydia said.

Shinryu blinks as he tilts his head. "Umm... Yes... But why are you saying it like I did something wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing..." Lydia said. "I just have a friend who wants to meet you."

"Oh? So, what is your friend like?" He asks.

"Oh, he's not bad." Lydia said, pausing for a moment. She sighed. "I'd better go find him and apologize for being so rude... It was good to meet you Shinryu, I'll tell my friend that I found you when I meet up with him again."

Shinryu chuckled. "Okay then. It was pleasant to meet you Lydia. Have a good day. And don't mention anything but my real name to him please? I'd rather have a day of peace for now until I start challenging the League here." He picked out a few Leppa and Cheri berries from the stand.

As Lydia walked away she thought, _Yeah right. If I don't tell Hyato that I found Shinryu, he might kill me... _"Have a pleasant evening!" Lydia called as she left.

Night immediately turns to Shinryu with a look that says, 'I need to tell you something!'

* * *

><p>Hyato arrived at the Pokémon Gym. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. Hyato knocked, and there was no answer. Just then he noticed some writing near the door. It read, <strong>'Beneath the crystal hangs the light.'<strong>

Hyato looked around. The front of the door was inset in a crystalline frame with an intricate crystal outcropping above the door. '_Well there's the crystal' _Hyato thought, _'but where's the light?'_

Hyato examined the surroundings. There were many things giving off light here, but none of them were beneath the crystal. "Hmm. Beneath the crystal hangs the light. What does it mean?" Hyato looked around again, and made the connection. He picked up a nearby hooded lantern and hooked it onto the crystal outcropping above the door. The door opened. "**Hangs **the light huh?" Hyato said, pleased with himself.

Hyato entered the Gym. Everything was dark. "WELCOME CHALLENGER!" Boomed a voice from the darkness. A spotlight appeared on Hyato. Another appeared on a man at the top of a pedestal far into the room. "I am ALBERON! This Gym's Leader! Are you prepared for battle?" Alberon asked.

"No." Hyato said, "I'm just here to deliver this." Hyato indicated the package in his hands.

"Whaa-at?" Alberon complained, obviously disappointed. The lights came on and Alberon walked over to Hyato. "What a buzz kill."

"I really do want to challenge you, but..." Hyato shuddered, "I don't think Professor Alpine would be happy."

"Alicia sent you?" Alberon asked.

"Alicia?" Hyato repeated.

"Yep! Alicia Alpine, my wife!" Alberon took the package and opened it. "Whaaa-at. A grocery list?" Alberon looked disappointed. "Thanks for delivering this kid."

"No problem," Hyato said, "At least now I know what I'm up against. I, Hyato, will return at a later time to take you on!" And with that Hyato left.

Alberon watched Hyato leave with a mixture of confusion and humor. "Funny kid, that one."

Hyato left feeling energized. Now all he had to do was pass the time. Hyato started walking around, when he came upon something interesting:

Two Trainers were having their fighting Pokémon sumo wrestle. "Go Hariyama!" one Trainer said.

"No way Keenan! My Machamp is gonna wreck your Hariyama!" The other trainer boasted.

The Pokémon struggled a bit, but Machamp got the edge with his extra arms. "Yes!" cried Machamp's Trainer.

"No fair Murphy!" Keenan said, "Machamp had an unfair advantage.

"You're just jealous of my Machamp." Murphy retorted.

"NO WAY! You did cheat!" Hyato interrupted.

"Oh yeah, well what are you gonna do about it?" Murphy said.

"I'll show what real strength is!" Hyato said.

"Fine!" Murphy said, "Your Pokémon against my Machamp!"

"NO!" Hyato said, "I'm taking on your Machamp!"

"What!"

"Don't worry about me, worry about Machamp." Hyato assured.

Hyato jumped into the ring across from Machamp. Machamp gave Murphy a questioning look. "Whatever man, it's your funeral. Go ahead Machamp!"

"GO!" Cried Keenan, starting the match.

Machamp and Hyato both stood still, in sumo position. "Get him Machamp!" Murphy said. Machamp moved forward, but Hyato met him in the center. They were locked in a grapple, Machamp using only two arms.

"TRY HARDER!" Hyato yelled as he pushed forward. Machamp was about to fall, till he started pushing back. Now Machamp used all four of his arms, struggling to push back Hyato. Hyato pushed harder, making Machamp increase his strength further.

With a few nimble movements, Hyato escaped the grapple and caused Machamp to throw himself out of the ring due to momentum.

Keenan and Murphy were dumbstruck. "H-how?" Murphy began.

"That, pssh. That was nothing, one time I faced a Gym leader named Chuck. After I beat him he tried to boast that he'd would have won if he fought. He then threw a boulder on top of a stone pillar. So I threw the other stone pillar on top of the boulder that was on a stone pillar." When Hyato finished his story, the two trainers were nearly frozen with fear. "Oh crap! My clothes!" Hyato said, "I'd better get new ones or Lydia will kill me." Hyato walked off.

"That guy…" Keenan started.

"He's terrifying!" Murphy finished.

"Yeah, but he's afraid of some chick named Lydia; she must be nightmarish!" Keenan reasoned.

Hyato entered a clothes store to get new clothes, just missing Lydia who was looking for him.

Lydia had just gone to get Hyato and her name's cleared, but found that it was already done. So Lydia decided to go find Hyato and tell him about Shinryu. Lydia started asking around. She was pointed here and there on a wild chase.

"Oh, I saw that guy talking to those trainers," some stranger said.

Lydia walked up to the Trainers, "Hello, I'm Lydia, I'm looking for my friend Hyato…"

"OH MY GOD IT'S HER!" Keenan screamed.

"**RUN FOR IT!**" Murphy cried and the trainers ran away.

"Well that was rude…" Lydia said.

* * *

><p>Professor Alpine was working hard in the Pokémon Lab. Hyato's Pokédex was nearly fixed now, and it had sustained a lot of damage, but Alpine was able to recover everything. As she worked Professor Oak walked in. "Good evening Professor Alpine." He said.<p>

"Ah! Professor Oak. It's good to see you. How did the meeting go?" Alpine asked

"All went well, I trust you've been doing well?"

"Yes, I just met one of your friends, he asked for some Pokédex repair. I couldn't turn down a friend of Professor Oak."

"Oh? And who was this?" Oak inquired.

"Hyato." Alpine said.

"What!" Oak said, shocked. "What is Hyato doing here so soon!"

"What do you mean?"

Oak sighed. "I pulled a couple of strings to delay his travel. It was very difficult to get Lance to leave Indigo Plateau at the right time."

"He said he swam from the ship," Alpine explained, "that's probably why he's here so fast. I already went and cleared his name. Apparently he was traveling with someone so I got her cleared too."

"Thank you for that." Oak said, "But it might be troublesome that he's already here…" He looked out the window. _I hope you're prepared Shinry__u... __Hyato will give you the __greatest__ challenge __of__ your Pokémon career..._

* * *

><p>Hyato walked out of the clothes store, wearing a set of all-terrain clothing that was comfortable and cool looking. His shoes were thick, but flexible enough for running and climbing. Hyato's new pants were black cargos with lots of pocket room, to replace the light tan pants Gary gave him. Hyato wore a red long-sleeved shirt, that was tight against his skin, and a deep purple jacket that had a removable hood.<p>

Excited about his new gear Hyato started running. It wasn't long before he rounded a corner and crashed into someone wearing a lot of black and silver.

"Sorry." Hyato said as he got up.

"It's okay, just watch where you're going next time." Shinryu said, adjusting his hat so it was on his head properly.

Hyato helped Shinryu up, "Thanks," said Shinryu, "But, where were you going in such a hurry?"

"Oh, nowhere in particular."

Shinryu removed and re-donned his gloves, "You're a Pokémon Trainer right?"

"How did you know?" Hyato asked.

"Your clothes are pretty suitable for rough terrain, not many other reasons to wear such clothing." Shinryu said.

"Yep! With these clothes I'm ready for anything!" Hyato said, "but your clothes don't seem very practical!"

Night pranced around nervously. Shinryu shot her a look that said _quiet! _"Sorry about Night, she must be nervous."

"It's cool," Hyato said crouching down, "She looks pretty strong, can I pet her?" Night gave a low growl. "I'll take that as a no." A poster caught Hyato's eye, so he went over to investigate.

Night seized this opportunity to stomp on Shinryu's foot. "Ow!" Shinryu yelped, "What!" he hissed.

"That man gives me a very bad feeling…" Night said, as she licked her paw, having forgotten that Shinryu wore steel-toed boots.

"What do you mean?" Shinryu asked.

"I don't know, something about him seems very… bad." Night said.

"I'll keep an eye on him." Shinryu said. Shinryu turned his attention back to Hyato, who had just finished reading the poster. "So…" Shinryu said for no reason. "What... uh... What are your plans for the Trema league?"

"Not much," Hyato said. "I'm really here to find my RIVAL!"

"Oh," Shinryu said, "and what does he look like?"

"Ummm," Hyato paused. "I… Don't… Know…"

"Really!" Shinryu said, shocked.

"Yeah, never really thought about that before." Hyato said.

"How do you not know what he looks like if he's your rival?"

"Well he doesn't know I'm his Rival!" Hyato said as if it was obvious.

"That doesn't seem reasonable." Shinryu said.

"Yeah," Hyato stopped to think for a moment, then he said, "Maybe you can help me find him!"

"How will we know if we see him?" Shinryu asked, trying to think of how he'd know someone he didn't know.

"Oh **I'LL** know!" Hyato assured.

So Hyato and Shinryu went off looking… for Shinryu. They stopped at a fountain where lots of Trainers gathered. Both Hyato and Shinryu looked around for a while. "Not here..." Hyato said at last.

They went to a park where many Trainers rested, "Not here either, huh," said Shinryu.

"I got an idea!" Hyato said. "Let's go there!" Hyato pointed up a small hill to a Pokémon statue. "They said that statue is dedicated to strong Pokémon Trainers! A tough guy like him will surely be there!"

"I've wanted to check that out myself." Shinryu said.

"See, it's like catching two Pokémon with one net!"

Hyato and Shinryu made their way up the hill. The statue was enormous, taking up almost a whole city block. It featured many Pokémon from all over including some of the legendary Pokémon. Near the peak of the construct was a statue of Arceus, surrounded by people and Pokémon that looked important. _'Could this statue be dedicated to the chosen?'_ Night thought.

"I'll go look around!" Hyato said, "Will you wait here?"

"Sure." Shinryu said. Hyato wandered into a crowd of people.

"Shinryu, I think that statue's dedicated to the Chosen" Night said, just loud enough for Shinryu to hear. '_And I think that man could be… An agent of the Darkness' _she thought.

"HEY EVERYONE! LISTEN UP!" Shinryu, Night, and pretty much every one else looked up to see Hyato on top of the Pokémon statue. "I'M HYATO AND I'M HERE TO TAKE DOWN THE TREMA LEAGUE PIECE BY PIECE! BUT FIRST I NEED TO FIND **MY GREATEST RIVAL!**"

"Hyato GET DOWN!" Lydia yelled.

"But I'm not done yet," Hyato complained.

"Just come down here." Lydia ordered.

Hyato climbed down the statue and faced Lydia. "Nice clothes." He said.

"Thanks. Same to you," Lydia said, "and I'm sorry for getting mad at you earlier. I also forgive you for holding us up. Here" Lydia handed Hyato some candy.

"Sweet!" Hyato said. "But, why did you stop me, I need to find Shinryu!"

"Don't worry about that." Lydia said giddily. "I already found him anyway. Come on, I'll help you find him."

"AWESOME!" Hyato cheered. "But first I need to go tell this guy who's been helping me search."

Hyato led Lydia through the crowd back over to Shinryu. "Well, that's one way to get his attention." Shinryu said as Hyato approached.

"Guess what guy, my friend says she knows where my rival is!" Hyato said, grinning like a fool. "Thanks for your help, but I've got to go now."

Lydia and Shinryu looked at each other for a moment.

"Hi Lydia." Shinryu said in greeting to Lydia.

"Umm, Hyato." Lydia said, "He's Shinryu."

The grin on Hyato's face disappeared. He slowly turned to look into Lydia's eyes and said: "Is… It true?"

"Yes." She said.

Shinryu tilted his head, "So you're Lydia's friend!"

The scream of absolute rage that left Hyato's mouth echoed throughout the city, setting off car alarms, causing Pokémon to freak out and filling Auburn city with a state of perfect silent terror.

_To be continued…_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hi all... I'm a little disappointed with how<em>****_ few reviews I am getting. Would you all please give at least one review per reader? It helps show the popularity level of this story, which also brings in more people to read it? Thanks, and have a good day! _****_~Veloran Darkfyre_**

**_Oi Oi! I think you guys should give longer reviews! If you like something, mention what exactly you think we did well. If you didn't like something, politely tell us what Veloran did wrong and we will keep it in mind for future chapters. _****_~Du Mar_**


	8. Fateful Encounter!

_**IT'S ABOUT TIME! Finally, Hyato and Shinryu meet. Knowing Hyato, there's no avoiding a Pokémon battle, but he only has 1 Pokémon! What's going to happen? Well now's the time to find out! Before you guys rage about it: pokémon don't forget moves in this story, so yes they know more than just four.**_

_**Gamefreak owns Pokémon, but Veloran and I own these characters, this story, these unique Pokémon, and this epic fight scene! ~Du Mar**_

* * *

><p>Hyato stared at the sky, arms raised above his head, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath he took. A look of absolute rage that would send a Garchomp running was plastered to his face. Hyato dropped his arms, and slowly lowered his gaze to meet Shinryu.<p>

Shinryu stood dumbstruck. He had no idea what just happened. When Hyato locked eyes with Shinryu, Shinryu could feel an intense pain in his chest, but he didn't react to it. '_What is He?'_ He thought.

Hyato exhaled, causing a wisp of steam to emerge from his mouth. His eyes were like blades cutting though Shinryu. Shinryu and Hyato stood frozen for many moments, glaring at each other. With each second that passed they both grew angrier.

The air around them cooled, and a crowd had gathered at a safe distance. The only one other than Shinryu and Hyato in the ring was Lydia, and she was slowly backing away.

"I challenge you to a Pokémon Battle! One on One!" Hyato said at last.

"Very well!" Shinryu said, "Night…" but Night shook her head and stepped back. '_I've never seen her this terrified!' "Then, FREYA I CHOOSE YOU!" _Shinryu threw a swirly green/sandy-brown colored Pokéball. A silver light emerged from the silver buttonand a Flygon appeared.

Hyato remained silent. He lifted up his Greatball that held Etherea _'I'm not strong enough to do this yet. He was undefeated for three years, and I only have one Pokémon. This may be my only chance though! I need to fight, time to see if my training really works' _Hyato thought for a while, then sent out Etherea.

Flygon stood much taller than the little purple mass of flame. Etherea looked up at Freya in fear. "Remain calm," Hyato said soothingly, "I'll help you win this!" Etherea calmed down a bit and made a hissing noise of agreement.

Shinryu quickly checked his Pokédex on Etherea. "Djinnit huh, a Fire/Water type? This should be good."

No one cried 'Go' or 'Start.' Both trainers just understood that it was time to begin. Shinryu acted first, "Freya, use Sonicboom!" Freya let out a harsh sound that struck Etherea.

"Etherea, Scald!" Djinnit shot out a blast of boiling water. Freya got hit, but not burned.

"Freya, use supersonic!" Freya sent out a dazzling ray of sound, but Etherea evaded the attack.

"Scald Etherea!"

"Don't use the same attack twice!," Shinryu said. Freya took another hit from scald, but still wasn't burned. "Arrg, Dragonbreath!" Freya released a powerful beam of paralyzing breath.

Etherea got hit, and was paralyzed. "No! Etherea use Coldfire!"

"What attack is that?" Shinryu said. A great ball of blue flame smacked right into Freya, but it wasn't very effective. "Don't use fire against a dragon."

Hyato smirked. "Freya," Shinryu said, "use sand-attack." Freya was frozen solid. "What?"

"Etherea use Scald!" Etherea used scald, "You see, Coldfire is a fire type move with a chance to freeze, and Scald has a chance to burn. So I gave Etherea an effect band, which ups the chance of causing a status effect."

"Freya!" Shinryu called, "Sunny day!" Freya was frozen solid, but the sunlight turned harsh!

"How?" Hyato said stunned.

"That, I won't explain," Shinryu said smugly.

"Don't think you've won!" Hyato said. "Etherea, use Coldfire!" Etherea was paralyzed and unable to move. "ARRGH!"

Freya thawed out. "Now Freya, use SOLARBEAM!" Shinryu ordered. Freya collected sunlight fast, and unleashed a powerful beam of light.

Etherea was sent flying. "Are you okay?" Hyato asked to the fallen Djinnit.

The Djinnit looked weak, it let out a weak hissing as it stared up at Hyato. Hyato stared into Etherea's eyes and whispered, "You can do it."

"So I guess that means I win huh?" Shinryu said.

Etherea jumped to its feet. Something about it had changed, it was filled with passion and burning spirit. "Not quite," Hyato said. "Now ETHEREA, STONE EDGE!"

"But that Pokémon can't learn stone edge!" Shinryu cried.

A mass of sharp rocks rose out of the ground and smashed into Freya. It wasn't very effective, but it hit a critical area. Both Pokémon were looking weak.

"Freya! **HYPER BEAM!" **Shinryu shouted.

"Oh shi—" Hyato began, but the intense ray of power cut him off. Etherea got blasted back hard by the attack. Etherea fainted.

Shinryu won the battle.

Hyato recalled Etherea into its Pokéball. Hyato wore a look of defeat on his face, he walked over to Shinryu with his head down.

Then Hyato looked up, smiled and said "Thanks! I've been looking forward to facing you, I understand why you were undefeated." Hyato shook Shinryu's hand, forked over the reward money, and left.

Lydia looked dumbstruck for a moment, then quickly ran after Hyato.

The crowd that had gathered slowly siphoned off to their own business. Shinryu walked over and sat on a bench. Night sat next to him, and Freya sat on the ground next to the bench with her head on Shinryu's lap. "That, was harder than I thought." Shinryu said while he pet Freya's head.

"That Hyato is fierce, even with such a weak Pokémon." Night said.

"His Pokémon didn't seem weak to me." Shinryu said.

Flygon made some noises, and Night translated, "Freya says that it was obvious to her that Hyato had only caught Djinnit earlier today."

"Really!" Shinryu said, "Amazing."

"But Shinryu," Night said, "I'm certain that man is evil."

"What?"

"Couldn't you see, he did something to that Djinnit after you hit it with Solarbeam, something dark."

"He just inspired it!" Shinryu said, then stopped. Why was he defending Hyato?

"Well what about that girl?" Night said, "I need to tell you something about her. When we met her earlier I felt something. I think that girl is a chosen, one without a Guardian."

"Is that something weird?" Shinryu asked.

"It shouldn't be possible!" Night snapped.

"Well what do you want me to do about it?" Shinryu retorted.

Night said nothing. Freya nuzzled up against Shinryu's chest one last time before he recalled her.

"We need to sleep." Shinryu said.

"Just make sure to keep an eye on Hyato, I know he's evil." Night said. '_an agent of the darkness.'_

"Well, it could be true," Shinryu said, "but what if he's not?"

* * *

><p>Lydia caught up to Hyato at the Pokémon Center. Hyato had just asked Nurse Joy to heal his Pokémon. Lydia said nothing for a bit, then said, "So what now?"<p>

"What do you mean?" Hyato asked.

"Well, you finally fought Shinryu, but you lost." Lydia said.

"Yeah, so?" Hyato said calmly.

"Well, are you gonna do some kind of crazy training so you can beat him?"

Hyato thought for a moment, then said, "Meh."

"WHAT?" Lydia screeched. A couple of people looked at her, she shrunk down embarrassed. "I mean, you were putting all your effort into beating him weren't you."

"I guess," Hyato said, "but I've fought him now, so it's cool."

"So that's it? After all that yelling and jumping off boats? You're just gonna say 'that's cool' and be done with it?" Lydia said.

"Well, it'd be boring trying to fight him now." Hyato said. "I've already fought him, so I know what it's like. I don't need to fight him again."

"Well, then what ARE you going to do?" Lydia asked.

"Well, after careful consideration," Hyato said. "I've decided I'm going to try the Trema league."

"Weren't you doing that anyway?" Lydia said.

"Well yeah, but I mean with you." Hyato said.

"Eh…"

"Well I'm hungry, I'll go get us some sandwiches and then pick up Etherea." Hyato left, leaving Lydia slightly shocked.

'_Why am I acting like this?' _Lydia thought, '_he already said we'd be travelling together. There's no reason to get so worked up. I'm reading too much into this.'_

Hyato returned with sandwiches, Etherea sitting on his head. "Shall we go?" Hyato asked.

"Where?" Lydia asked.

"To the hotel of course," Hyato said.

Lydia's face turned bright red. "w-what?" she stammered.

"Come on Slowpoke," Hyato gave Lydia her sandwich and led her out of the Pokémon center to a hotel. Lydia was fretting quietly the whole way there, until Hyato gave Lydia her own room key and bid her goodnight.

"Good night Hyato," Lydia said as he left.

And so they slept...

_(In the morning)_

The following morning arrived faster than Lydia wanted it too. She couldn't remember what her dream was about, but she had a feeling it was something naughty. She decided she wouldn't tell this to Hyato.

Lydia and Hyato met up in the Hotel dining hall, where they had breakfast. "So all I need to do is go pick up my Pokédex and we can be off," Hyato said.

"You do that, I'll meet you at the north gate in an hour then, I need to go buy some last minute supplies." Lydia said.

When they finished breakfast they each went to go do their errands. Lydia went to the stores to buy a tent and some other things. Since Hyato was so eager to head north, they couldn't wait for the boat to arrive with all of Lydia's stuff.

When Hyato got to the Pokémon lab, his Pokédex was given to him by a lab assistant. "and Professor Alpine asked me to tell you…" the assistant began.

"Okay thanks bye." Hyato said cutting him off. Hyato left immediately.

When Lydia arrived exactly when she meant to, she found Hyato just outside of the gate making Etherea run around a rock. "Go! Go!" Hyato cheered.

"Hyato!" Lydia called, "Ready to set off?"

"Yeah!," Called Hyato, "come on Etherea let's go!"

Etherea hopped on Hyato's shoulder. Hyato and Lydia started off north, towards the next challenge!

* * *

><p>Shinryu opened the door to his room, letting Night walk in before he closed it behind him. He turned the lock, his cautious side warning him that he should do that just incase Night decided to pounce him again. He had left Freya with Joy, asking her to keep her for the night and he would pick her up in the morning, because he was flat-out exhausted! He took his vest and shirt off with one quick motion, and dropped them next to his bag with a sigh. He then pulled off his gloves, thinking idly to himself that he should sew them together so he didn't have to put them on individually. He then made his way over to the bed after flicking the lights off.<p>

Night had jumped onto the bed and she was laying on her side when Shinryu laid down behind her, wrapping his now bare arms around her and holding her to his chest. "Mmm..." She looked back at Shinryu, her crimson eyes glinting in the darkness.

Shinryu smiled and laid his head down next to hers. "Rest well Night... We're challenging Alberon tomorrow morning."

Night sighed. "Oh alright." She said as she pressed her body closer to Shinryu, and closed her eyes.

Shinryu closed his eyes also, and let the world of dreams claim him without a struggle.

_(In the Morning)_

Shinryu opened his eyes the moment the morning sunlight hit his face. He yawned widely, raising his left arm and stretching it because Night was still currently asleep on his right arm. He smiled down at Night, who was breathing in softly as her right foreleg twitched somewhat. He then slowly pulled his arm out from under Night, pausing every once in a while until he had freed himself from the dead-weight of Night's sleeping form. He then stood up and walked to his bag, picking it up and digging through it. He then pulled out a silver-chain necklace that had a pokéball attached to it. He smiled and put it on before he pulled on his shirt and vest and his gloves.

Night groaned as she turned over, her eyes opening a slight fraction as they registered the amount of light that was being poured into the room from the open window. "Ngh... Morning already?" She groaned, raising her head slightly to stare at Shinryu, who was smiling gently at her.

"Early morning to be exact." Shinryu said, pulling out his pokégear and looking at the time. "Apparently, sunrise comes early here. So come on, get up and lets go give Alberon a challenge."

Night sighed as she stretched, pawing at the bed as she made herself more limber. "Oh alright, Mr. Impatient." She growled playfully as she bounced from the bed and began to walk towards Shinryu, who had opened the door and was standing to the side waiting for her to leave. "Why thank you."

Shinryu chuckled to himself as he shut the door and locked it, holding the key as he walked down the stairs with Night to stop at the Counter. "Good morning Nurse Joy. How is Freya?" He asked casually.

Joy smiled at Shinryu in that way she always smiles when happy. "Your Flygon has recovered to full health and is in prime condition." She handed Shinryu Freya's pokéball and took the room key in exchange. "Have a nice day!"

Shinryu smiled back as he shrunk Freya's ball and attached it to his waist. "Come on Night." He said as he turned around and strode towards the automatic doors of the PokéCenter, which slid open to let the two pass out into the streets of Auburn City. He pulled out his pokégear and dialed in the phone number Oak had him program into it before he left Hoenn.

"_*Riiing... Riiing... Riiing... Click* Hello?" _Asked a female voice.

"Hi, Professor Alpine?" Shinryu asked cautiously.

"_No, I am her secretary Laura. May I ask who is calling?"_

"Richard Maxwell. However I believe the Professor knows me as Shinryu." Shinryu stated as he began walking at a steady pace.

"_Oh! Hang on, lemme transfer you to Mrs. Alpine right away sir!" _Exclaimed Laura quickly. _"*Click... Click.* Hello?" _Asked the electronicly projected voice of Alpine.

"Hi, Professor Alpine. This is Shinryu calling, I am wondering where I can get a Card to upgrade my pokégear to have the Trema Region's map?" Said Shinryu as he began making his way towards the Pokémon Gym.

"_Hmm... Stop by my Lab as soon as your able to Shinryu. I'll take a look at your pokégear and see what I can do. No one has made the Map compatable with the pokégear yet, so I'll take it upon myself to see if I can make one myself." _Alpine said from her end of the line.

Shinryu smiled. "Thank you very much Professor. I'll stop by after I challenge the Gym."

"_Very well. Be careful, my Husband is quite the powerful Gym Leader. *Click! … Bhhhhr..." _Warned Alpine before hanging up.

Shinryu closed the pokégear and placed it in his pocket. He looked up at the Gym, his eyes drinking in every detail of it as he carefully observed it. _Hmm... The Gym of the Deep huh? I wonder what pokémon Alberon will be throwing against me. _He thought as he came up to the door and placed his hand on the handle and tried to pull it open. But it was locked. "Hmm..." He around and saw the writing and his eyes narrowed. _Really? _He thought. _A riddle like that? Its such a simple answer! _He thought as he took a lantern and placed it into the crystal outcropping before trying the door again, pulling it open. _Heheh... There we go. _He thought as he stepped inside the pitch black building.

Shinryu paused once he set foot in the building, and the door slammed shut behind him. _What? _He thought as he heard Night's threatening growl.

"WELCOME CHALLENGER!" Shouted a voice that pierced the near-silence as a spotlight shined onto Shinryu and Night, causing him to cover his face and Night to look the opposite direction. And another appeared on a man standing on the pedastal across the room. "I am the Gym Leader ALBERON! Are you prepared for battle?"

Shinryu lowered his arm as his eyes adjusted to the light. "Yes. I am here to challenge you to a battle!"

Alberon laughed. "Very well! How many badges do you have?"

Shinryu smirked. "I have none." He said as he procured his Trema Badge case and opened it. "You will be my first."

Alberon smiled as the entire room filled with light, revealing a massive expanse of black waters. "Very well! In order to fight me, you must traverse your way safely to me. In these waters, lurk many different water-dwelling pokémon. Succeed, and we shall face each other!"

Shinryu sighed as he eyed the new puzzle before him. _Of course... _He then saw the varying sizes of floating planks. "Night, return just for a minute ok?"

Night nodded as the white beam extended from her pokéball and withdrew her into it.

Shinryu the looked at the places above the planks and saw rope. _Easy! _He thought as he took a running start and jumped at the edge of the pool of water, feeling the interested stare of Alberon on him as he caught onto a rope swing. He swung his legs so he would propel himself forward and let go, landing on one of the planks and rolling before going to run again and jumping to the next rope.

Alberon whistled. _Whew... This kid is good at parkour. _He thought as he watched Shinryu easily traverse the path without using a water pokémon to surf like most challengers would have, quickly reaching the area where he was in just just under a minute. "Good job!" He said as he pulled out a pokéball and walked to the other end of the coliseum. He stood there as the referee stood up.

"Alright! The Challenger is the only one who can make substitutions. You are to battle with three pokémon each, winner is the one who knocks out all three of the others Team." Shouted the Referee.

Shinryu nodded as he pulled out Night's pokéball. _Lets see how this goes! _He drew his arm back and tossed the pokéball into the air. "Night! Come on out!"

The pokéball burst open in a shine of white and black light that swirled around in the vague shape of the Yin-Yang symbol before fading and revealing a battle-ready Night.

"An Absol, and a very powerful one at that!" Exclaimed Alberon as he tossed his own pokéball into the air. "Lets go! Poliwrath!"

The pokéball burst open in the standard white-light and revealed the Water/Fighting type Tadpole pokémon.

Shinryu growled to himself as he contemplated his strategy. _Lets see... Fighting is superior to the dark type, so Night will be in trouble if she gets hit. However, her Zen Headbutt will be more than good enough to take on a Poliwhirl. _"Night! Begin with a Taunt!" He shouted.

Night growled an affirmative as she lowered her head at the Poliwrath and turned away slightly, as if it wasn't worth her time to battle.

The Poliwrath's eyes bulged as it became enraged just as Alberon shouted his attack. "Poliwrath, use Hypnosis!" And then cursed to himself as Poliwarth shook its head while glaring at Night.

Shinryu smirked. "Night, use Zen Headbutt!"

"Poliwrath! Counter with Circle Throw!"

The jewel in Night's forehead shined with a brilliant light as she rushed towards the Poliwrath, who was set in a stance that showed it was ready to counter attack.

"Night, cease now and channel the remaining energy into Thunderwave!"

Night frowned slightly but conceeded, stopping her rush as electrical energy gathered into her horn and pulsed out towards the slightly confused Poliwrath, hitting it dead-on as static electricity arced around its body.

"Grr! Poliwrath! Use Mud Shot and slow down that Absol!"

Poliwrath was about to spread its arms, but some electricity arced from it and it paused in it's movements.

"Now Night! Zen Headbutt!" Shouted Shinryu.

Night growled as her gem shined again as she finished her path towards the Poliwrath, hitting it directly in its chest seeing as it had been paralyzed as it was spreading its arms and hitting one of the pokemon's weak spots.

Poliwrath fell backwards and twitched, its eyes now swirls.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle! Night the Absol wins this battle!" Shouted the Referee.

Shinryu nodded to Night, who nodded back.

"Hmm... I was right when I said you had a tough Absol, but I didn't realize it was this tough!" Alberon laughed. "Oh well, here we go! Come on out Kingdra!" He shouted.

Shinryu raised his arm in the symbol for substitution. The referee nodded and he let Night retreat to stand next to him as he unhooked a dark black pokéball with red lining. "Dusk! You're up!" He shouted, tossing the pokéball into the air.

The pokéball opened in a burst of crimson light, fading away to reveal a Hydreigon.

It roared, looking up at the Kingdra that Alberon had sent out.

"Alright Dusk, I know you can do it!" Shouted Shinryu, raising his fist up and clenching it. "Dark Pulse!"

Dusk nodded as it opened its mouth, dark energy pouring from it and pushing out towards Kingdra.

"Kingdra, Protect yourself!" Shouted Alberon.

The Kingdra summoned a greenish barrier around itself, causing the Dark Pulse to dissipate against it and made the barrier shatter.

"Now use Dragonbreath!"

The Kingdra inhaled sharply and then exhaled the dark purple flames that dragons are known to summon.

"Dusk, Detect!" Shouted Shinryu.

Dusk's eyes glowed somewhat as she flew high above the flames and landed as soon as they stopped at just a few inches from Shinryu's face, the automatic energy disperser activating to prevent him and Alberon from being hurt from a stray move.

"And now use Foul Play!" Shinryu continued, chaining his commands together as much as possible.

Dusk responded by vanishing in a burst of speed, and reappearing to smack Kingdra hard across the face, her claw-heads glowing a strange purple color as it caused the Kingdra to fly backwards and impact into one of the sea-rocks that was a part of the field.

"Kingdra, enough playing around! Lets show this kid what we're made of! Use Outrage!"

Kingdra responded by glowing as the purplish dragon-fire surrounded its body as it propelled itself towards the Hydreigon.

"Dusk! Protec-"

Dusk was impacted before he got a chance to yell out his attack, which caused her to fall to the ground. She then twitched. _Oh no... She flinched! _He thought to himself as the Kingdra attacked again, causing Dusk to transorm back to her original form, a Zoroark, and faint.

"Winner, Kingdra!" Shouted the referee as the Kingdra began looking around, as if it was wondering what in the hell to do.

Shinryu sighed sadly as he recalled Dusk into her pokéball. _You did good girl... _He thought as he reattached it to his belt. He then reached up to his neck and grasped the pokéball on the necklace. _No more holding back... Its time to shine! _He yanked it from the necklace, causing pieces of the chain to fly around as both Alberon and the Referee were wondering what in the hell he was doing. "Go on in Night!" He shouted, placing the pokéball at his belt.

Night nodded as she ran onto the field.

"Alright! Kingdra, use Water Pulse!"

"Night, Sucker Punch!" Shouted Shinryu at the same time as Alberon.

Night's right paw began to glow with a purple light as she approached the Kingdra faster than it could react and brought it up to connect right into its face.

The Kingdra fell to the ground.

"Kingdra is unable to battle!" Shouted the Referee. "It is now two versus one, in favor of the Challenger!"

Alberon nodded, impressed. "Very well! Come on out Crawdaunt!" He shouted after recalling Kingdra.

_Night won't be able to last much longer... She's on her last legs. _Shinryu thought as he fingered the pokéball that was on his necklace. The only un-specialized pokéball he owned. _I hope you can do it... _"Night, do what you will!" He shouted.

Night smirked as if to say _"With pleasure!" _She then darted forward, using Quickattack to get around to behind the Lobster.

"Crawdaunt! Protect and then Crabhammer!" Alberon shouted.

The Crawdaunt surrounded itself with the green barrier, causing Night to impact upon it and propelled her back.

As Night was about to right herself, but she felt a heavy hit to her side and gasped, falling unconscious.

Shinryu growled as the Referee was saying: "Night is unable to battle!"

Alberon laughed. "You're good kid! What do you have up next? Another Dark Type I presume?"

Shinryu chuckled as he took the pokéball from his waist after recalling Night. "No, not at all. Come on out Flare!" He shouted loudly, throwing the pokéball into the air.

The ball burst open, and in a flash of white light a Blaziken appeared.

"A Blaziken?" Shouted Alberon.

"Yeah, and now you're going to regret ever hearing the name Shinryu the Dragonsong!" Shinryu shouted. "Flare, use Sunny Day and then Solarbeam!"

Flare cried out as an artificial sun emerged in existence and began to quickly gather sunlight.

"Quickly Crawdaunt! Use Protect!"

The Crawdaunt used protect, summoning the green barrier.

"NOW!" Shouted Shinryu.

Flare opened her maw and shot the beam towards the Crawdaunt.

The Protect barrier around the Crawdaunt suddenly failed and dropped, leaving it exposed and vulnerable as it got hit full-force by the power of the Solarbeam, causing it to cry out loudly and then fall over, its eyes swirling.

"Crawdaunt is unable to battle! Shinryu is the Victor!" Shouted the Referee as Alberon recalled the Crawdaunt.

"Heh... Good job kid. I have to admit, I never expected you to use a Blaziken after seeing two Dark Types." Said Alberon, walking up to Shinryu, who was petting Flare's back.

"Thank you." Shinryu stated softly to Flare, who said "Blaze!" in response. "You did a good job. Now return." He then looked at Alberon. "I get that all the time I pull that one off." He said.

Alberon laughed. "Well, your one helluva Trainer, and here ya go: The Tsunami Badge." He held out his hand, and a badge in the shape of a raging tidal wave swirling around a blue crystal.

Shinryu took the badge and placed it in his case after recalling Flare. "Thanks, and is there a way out of this Gym without going through that puzzle of yours?" He asked.

Alberon nodded and pointed to a door to the left. "Take that door and go down the hallway. It exits at a secret door leading to the foyer."

Shinryu nodded and went to the door, opened it, and ran down the hallway.

He reached the end in no time, pushed open the door he saw, stepped out into the foyer and turned to see Alberon waving him off, before he stepped outside. _And back to the PokéCenter... _He thought as he took off at a run, reaching and entering the Center in no time flat.

Soon, Shinryu was walking back out of the PokéCenter with Night at his side as he began walking towards the PokeLab. "Alright, time to go meet with Professor Alpine!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sorry for not revealing any new pokémon for the Match against Alberon for Shinryu, however that was Alberon's first team of four different ones. Idk which team Hyato will be facing off against until later, because me and Du Mar haven't planned it and we're flat-exhausted... Running on fumes to be exact for tonight.<strong>_

_**Well, we hope you liked this Chapter! And don't forget to review what you think!  
>~Veloran Darkfyre and Du Mar.<strong>_

_**EDIT: Added in the Outro that didn't show up... And replaced a mistake I made...**_


	9. Wilderness Adventures

_**Well, here we are with yet another Chapter of the Trema Series. We are glad to have thought of this Chapter during our absence, and here it is!**_

_**~Veloran Darkfyre and Du Mar**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Nine: Wilderness Adventures<strong>  
><em>

_Previously, on Trema: Land of Victory_

_Soon, Shinryu was walking back out of the PokéCenter with Night at his side as he began walking towards the PokeLab. "Alright, time to go meet with Professor Alpine!"_

* * *

><p>Shinryu entered the Lab and walked up towards the counter.<p>

"Excuse me." Shinryu said to the receptionist. "I am here to see Professor Alpine."

The receptionist looked up at Shinryu and nodded. "And may I ask who you are Sir?"

Shinryu smirked, recognizing her voice from over the phone. "Hello Laura. I am Shinryu."

The brunette gasped as she quickly stood up. "Shinryu! The Professor is in the back." She called a Security Officer over. "Take this man to Professor Alpine right away please."

Shinryu sighed as the Officer nodded. "Oh I hate special treatment just because I am a Maxwell by birth..." He groused underneath his breath so the Officer didn't hear him. "Lead the way."

The Guard grunted noncommittally and began walking towards a door, with Shinryu following behind him. He opened a door and stepped to the side. "I don't want to escort you. Alpine is down this hall a ways. Take a right at the second intersection, and you will come to her Office."

Shinryu nodded. "Thank you." He walked down the hallway as Night chased after him.

* * *

><p>Standing on a hill to the north of Auburn City, a man in black clothes with a dark purple hat was watching the City. <em>Shinryu is here... He is the key to the plan. <em>With a swish of his cloak, he vanished from the spot just as a wild Mightyena and its Poochyena pups had made their way to where he was standing.

* * *

><p>Shinryu knocked on a door and stood there waiting patiently.<p>

In a few minutes, the door opened and Professor Alpine stood there with a smile. "Why hello Shinryu. I recognize you from a photo of the VIPs and from all I've heard from Oak. Come on in!"

Shinryu nodded as he walked into Alpine's office, sitting down in a chair across from her desk as she closed the door and went to go sit down also. Night sat down next to Shinryu's chair, staring up at the Professor curiously.

"I found your request quite challenging Shinryu." Alpine spoke, staring across at him. "The normal Town Map device was never meant to be compatible with the Pokégear, but I succeeded." She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a small card. "This is the Trema map, complete with locations of landmarks and information on them." She placed it on the desk in front of Shinryu.

Shinryu smiled at Alpine as he picked up the card. "Thank you so much."

"No problem." Alpine smiled back. "You impressed my husband immensely. I think that a majority of the others coming here will find him a greater challenge than you did."

Shinryu laughed. "I think you may be right. I understood the reason for that puzzle of his: To see the battle style and know about the Pokémon his opponent uses before they even reach him."

Alpine smiled. "I see... You figured that out just by entering the Gym?" She asked.

"Yes. It was kind of obvious." Shinryu admitted. "But some people are so set on Challenging a Leader, they ignore what is right in front of their face."

Alpine nodded. "That is true... Some just go head first. Now I understand why you are such a powerful Trainer in your own right. You retain a calm head."

Shinryu chuckled. "Well... Not always... When I see someone abusing their Pokémon, I tend to fly off the handle and hurt them."

Alpine frowned. "Really?"

Shinryu nodded. "Yes... I rescued a Pokémon from a Trainer who was abusing his Pokémon for losing against me before I won the Unova League. A Zorua, that is now a fully-grown Zoroark."

Alpine's eyes widened. "So... You're the Shinryu the Unova Police-force dropped the charges against you for Assault One?"

Shinryu nodded. "I may have gone too far... But I did it to rescue it from that life."

"An honorable reason." Alpine said. "Now, I have some work to do."

Shinryu inclined his head. "Thank you Professor Alpine. It was wonderful meeting you in person."

"Pleasure was all mine. Oak talks highly of you whenever your name comes up. Says you're one of the precious few Trainers he has chosen that have achieved the status of granduer you have. The Dragonsong of Hoenn was a fine moniker for Lance to grant you. And the Championbreaker also fits you very well."

Shinryu smiled at Alpine as he stood up. "You flatter me." He held out his hand and shook Alpine's before he and Night left the Office.

As Shinryu left, Alpine smiled to herself as she pulled out a folder containing Shinryu's Trainer Profile and began to review his statistics more. She almost dropped his file as she stared at his win-lose ratio. "He really hasn't lost a match as the Champion... And he only lost one match in his life... Against Seth Maxwell the Burning Mirror."

* * *

><p>Shinryu walked outside of the Lab and looked around. "Hmm... Where to go?" He asked while he idly installed the card he just got into his Pokégear. He pulled his bag so he could open the medicine pouch and stared at the contents. "Hmm... Yeah, that's where to next. And then we leave Auburn." He said as he zipped up the pouch and began making his way to the PokéMart.<p>

The blue-roofed building was located directly next to and a part of the PokéCenter. He stepped inside because the doors were already opened and looked around the aisles of goods and gear essential to a Trainer on a journey. He ignored the items on the shelf as he approached the counter. "Good morning. I am here to pick up my usual order."

"Usual order?" Asked the clerk, obviously confused.

"Yes, a package of Full Restores already bought and paid for in advance before I came here to Trema." Shinryu said calmly. "The order was placed by Triam Inc, and I am one of their sponsors."

The clerk nodded and went into the back. He came back with a package and a clipboard. "Alright, is your name Richard Maxwell?"

Shinryu nodded.

"Okay, sign here." Said the Clerk as he handed Shinryu the clipboard.

Shinryu scribbled his real name in a unique flourish, using a hidden symbol above the 'I' of his name disguised as a normal dot. "Here you go." He handed the clipboard back and the Clerk passed the package to Shinryu.

"Have a good day sir."

Shinryu and Night walked away from the Mart and began making their way for the West side of town. _Thank you! _He thought to himself. _I hate being in cities..._

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Meanwhile...)<strong>_

Hyato and Lydia made their way up the rocky slopes of Stone Forest Path. As they rose in elevation, the air dried out, but the sun beat down hard on the area. Hyato dragged his feet and slumped over as he trudged on. Lydia walked like normal.

"It's not _that _hot," Lydia said, watching Hyato struggle to move.

"Just cause... you... grew up in... a volcano," Hyato breathed.

"I didn't grow up in a volcano." Lydia said, "stop being a baby."

Hyato meandered on, ignoring Lydia. He hadn't slowed much, so Lydia wasn't too worried.

They quickly came to a cliff wall. There was no way around, and it was too tall to climb. Or so Lydia thought. Hyato wasted no time, gripping the stone wall like a ladder, slowly finding his way up.

"What are you a Mankey?" Lydia said.

"Ook!" Hyato replied, as he continued.

"I can't climb that you know." Lydia called.

Hyato reached the top. "Well, then how are you gonna get up?" he called.

"I don't know," Lydia said.

"Hold on." Hyato disappeared from view. A few moments later he let down a rope. "Climb up."

"I CAN'T! I don't have the strength!" Lydia complained.

"Then just grab it and hold on! I'll pull you up." Hyato said.

"I'm too heavy!"

"You're not heavy!"

"Well my bag is."

"Then tie it on, I'll pull it up first." Hyato reasoned.

Lydia tied her pack onto the rope. Hyato pulled it up then tossed the rope back down. Lydia grabbed on and was pulled up. "Weren't you exhausted from the heat?" She asked when she got to the top.

"Was I?" Hyato asked.

"Yes, you were. You complained for at least a mile." Lydia said, picking up her backpack.

"Oh yeah," Hyato remembered. He looked up towards the sun, "I guess it's not so bad."

"Whatever." Lydia and Hyato continued down the road. Hyato wasn't complaining or anything, he was just fine.

"So how long till we reach Tectra City?" Hyato asked.

"Well, since, this path isn't supposed to be walkable, I don't know." Lydia said.

"What do you mean?" Hyato asked.

"Most people don't go around scaling cliffs Hyato." Lydia said.

"Why not?" Hyato asked, "It's not hard."

"It is for normal people." Lydia said.

"What are you getting at..." Hyato asked suspiciously.

"You're not normal Hyato," Lydia said. "Isn't it obvious?"

"I'm not?" Hyato asked. "Then what am I?"

"I don't know!" Lydia snapped.

"I'm sorry Lydia. What did I do wrong?" Hyato asked, worried.

"It's nothing." Lydia said.

"Okay," Hyato said, not believing her.

They walked on in silence. Nothing managed to break it. The awkward tension was painful, Hyato kept sweating, or was that the heat?

Hyato wanted to say something, but he had no words to work with. So they continued silently. At one point Hyato brought out Etherea to try to liven things up, but even Etherea could feel the tension and stayed silent.

Lydia didn't mean to snap at Hyato, he didn't deserve it. But she wasn't herself. She felt like she'd lost something over the past few days.

Then they heard a noise. It was enough to snap both of them back to reality. In front of them were a small group of Pokémon. They were small, about the size of a head. And that's what they seemed to be.

They were little purple heads with arms. Their eyes and arms were not human-like, but very close. Their eyes had horizontal lines running through them in place of pupils. Instead of a mouth they had four teeth at the bottom of their head, like if you ripped the lower jaw off a skull. They each had little wispy red horns and a vertical red stripe running down their forehead from the back.

"Whoa, they're covered in black flame." Hyato pointed out. The flames were small and hard to see. "What's that Pokémon?" Hyato said as he pulled out his Pokédex.

*****Ping*** **[_Noirignis The super toxin Pokémon. Noirignis is a fire/poison type that feeds off of toxic gases. When this Pokémon battles, it uses miasma to poison the enemies while healing itself._]

"Awesome!" Hyato said, sending out Etherea, "That one is mine!"

"Go ahead Hyato," Lydia said, "I'm gonna go see what's ahead." Lydia continued up the path.

Hyato and Etherea approached the Noirignis' and stood valiantly before them. "Noirignis!" Hyato called, pointing one of them out. "We challenge you to battle!"

The Noirignis that Hyato called out looked stunned for a moment, then stepped forward with fighting spirit.

Etherea stepped forward and readied itself. "Alright! Let's do this!" Hyato said.

Lydia walked ahead along the path. She took special notice of the oddly shaped rocks and leaves that blanketed the path. Lydia entertained her eyes with the sights while secretly pondering about the problem.

What was the problem? Why did Lydia feel so out of it, she couldn't find an answer. Lydia came to a section of the path that was quite odd. Stone trees were everywhere, as if someone had carved out hundreds of tree statues up and down the path. They were awfully realistic, though why someone would carve them was beyond comprehension.

Lydia walked over and ran her hand along one of the light brown tree-stones. It was a rough, dusty texture. The pine needles could be felt with amazing accuracy. Lydia was beginning to think these weren't man-made.

"It's horrible isn't it?" said an unfamiliar voice. Lydia turned to see a tall trainer walking over from inside the stone forest. "The way these trees have died." The trainer had curly Blue hair and rectangular glasses. He walked with an air of happiness, and seemed intelligent too.

"These trees were alive? I thought they were statues." Lydia asked the trainer.

"No, these trees were alive, long ago, but they've been stone for decades now." The trainer said, "Oh, I'm Laz by the way." Laz held out his hand to Lydia.

Lydia shook his hand, "Nice to meet you Laz. My name is Lydia."

"Alright Lydia, now that introductions are through," Laz held up a Pokéball, "Why don't we have a match?"

Slightly taken aback Lydia said, "Just like that?"

"Of course, this is a league challenge after all. So our eyes have met, and we should battle. How does 3 on 3 sound?"

Lydia didn't even need a moment to think. "I accept!" She said with battle-ready ferocity.

"Alright, my first battle in Trema! Here goes nothing! Go Stantler!" Laz sent out the Big Horn Pokémon, and it looked ready for battle.

"Go! Sabre!" Lydia's Kabutops appeared quickly, ready for battle. Stantler's imposing horns cut Sabre's attack. "Now Metal Sound." Sabre rubbed his claws together rapidly, producing a harsh sound. The fierce sound of metal scraping affected Stantler's stance. It's Special defense was sharply reduced.

"Stantler, use Calm Mind!" Stantler focused, the orbs in its antlers glowed as it's Special Attack and Defense rose.

"Sabre, Rain dance!" Kabutops moved in an odd but specific dance and summoned the rain.

"Crap, your Kabutops must have Swift Swim, Stantler Role play!" Stantler altered it's stance, making itself look and feel like Sabre, copying Kabutops' Swift Swim ability.

Both Stantler and Kabutops' grew faster as the rain pelted down on them, a thin bluish sheen surrounding them.

"Alright Sabre, use Brine!" Sabre struck with a tactical water strike, heightened by Rain Dance, and more powerful to Stantler's low Special Defense.

Stantler took the hit hard, but was still in the fight, "Stantler, Energy Ball," Stantler launched a ball of green energy at Kabutops. It hit hard, and was super-effective. Kabutops fainted.

"You deserve a rest Sabre, Go Skydive!" Kabutops was recalled and replaced with Archeops.

"So, another fossil Pokémon huh?" Laz said.

"Skydive! Dragon pulse!" Archeops sent out a concentrated pulse of powerful purplish energy. Stantler took a direct hit and fell to the ground hard, fainted.

The rain persisted, covering Lydia, Laz and Skydive in cold water.

"Well done Stantler, Alright, go Ursaring!" Laz's Ursaring stood taller than Archeops, but Archeops wasn't afraid. "Ursaring, use Slash!" Ursaring slashed with its sharp claws. It wasn't very effective but it was still a critical hit.

Skydive recovered quickly, "Alright Skydive, Substitute!" Archeops created a copy of itself.

"Ursaring, Brick Break." Ursaring smashed through the substitute easily.

"Skydive, use Substitute again," Skydive created another copy of itself, it was low in health now.

"Ursaring, use Slash" it wasn't very effective, the substitute remained.

"Now Skydive, Endeavor!" Skydive brought Ursaring down into low health to match Skydive.

"What! No, Ursaring Brick Break!" The weakened Ursaring lunged forward and smashed Archeops' substitute. The substitute faded, but Skydive remained.

"Now Skydive, use Crunch!" Skydive flew forward and bit hard into Ursaring. But Ursaring managed to stay up, not very fazed by the attack.

"Ha! Fell victim to Archeops defeatist ability!" Laz boasted. "Ursaring, use Faint attack." Ursaring approached Skydive disarmingly, and landed a final blow. Skydive fainted.

'Only one Pokémon left. I can do this!' "Go Tyranus!" Lydia said, throwing up a blue Pokéball.

Laz got a horrified look on his face. "A Tyranitar?" he exclaimed.

"No." Lydia said as her Pokémon emerged.

"WAAAAAAAA-boufett." Cried the Wobbuffet.

Laz laughed, "Really? A Wobbuffet? Ursaring use Slash!" Ursaring ran forth and slashed Wobbuffet.

It immediately countered the attack, a mysterious force doubling the power as Wobbuffet smacked back and defeating Ursaring. "Tyranus just used counter." Lydia said happily.

"What?" Laz said, "Hmmph, well take this! Go Noctowl!" Laz sent forth a large Noctowl, it hooted suspiciously at Tyranus.

"Tyranus, Safeguard." Wobbuffet created a powerful field of energy around itself.

"Noctowl, use work up!" Noctowl got itself all worked up, raising its attack and special attack.

"Tyranus, use Counter." Wobbuffet prepared to counter Noctowl's attack.

"Simple solution, Noctowl, use Heat Wave!" Noctowl flapped its wings with great force, sending a wave of burning heat at Wobbuffet. The powerful fire attack enveloped Wobbuffet, but safeguard protected it from getting burned.

'Time to end this.' Lydia thought. " Tyranus, Mirror coat!" Tyranus coated itself in a shining reflective coat.

"All I have to do is use a physical attack!" Laz said.

"No, Noctowl will use Heat Wave again!" Lydia cried.

"No he won't…" Laz began, but was cut off by Noctowl's flapping wings. Noctowl forced out another heat wave, which struck Tyranus hard. Then Tyranus's mirror coat shone brightly and an enormous wave of heat erupted at Noctowl with crushing force. Noctowl was enveloped in the heat, and fainted.

"WHAT! How did you do that?" Laz said, as he returned Noctowl to its Pokéball.

"I'm sorry." Lydia apologized. "I did it on accident, I didn't mean to order your Pokémon."

Laz pulled out three small yellow crystal, pressing one to the top of each of his Pokéballs. The revives melted around the storage units, and disappeared. "I suppose its all right." Laz said finally, "You won, fair and square." Laz pulled out his trainer card and linked to Lydia's, then he transferred over some funds. "3000 seems fair."

Lydia felt rejuvenated. "Thanks for the fight Laz, where are you headed?"

"I'm off to Auburn city." He replied.

"Well best of luck, I need to go find my traveling companion." Lydia said as they parted ways.

As Lydia walked back towards where she left Hyato, she reflected on her battle. She had fought and won, and now she felt loads better. It had been more than a week since her last Pokémon battle, and that must be why she was so angry. Lydia smiled as she rounded the last corner to meet up with Hyato.

Hyato was panting and coughing, covered in soot and mud. He smiled when he saw Lydia. "I caught it!" He exclaimed with one thumb up in a victorious pose.

"What happened?" Lydia asked as she handed Hyato a towel.

"Fire Pokémon fight fiercely. They all fought me at once, but Etherea was amazing and managed to beat them." Hyato said, no longer coughing. "So what were you up to?"

"Nothing much," Lydia said, "I had a fight with another trainer. I won."

Hyato grinned, "Awesome! Well we've no time to lose! We need to make it to Tectra city today!"

Lydia groaned, Tectra city was miles of rough terrain away, but she had a feeling that Hyato wasn't lying.

A single candle flame broke the darkness of the room. The light flickered and jumped at every movement, casting dancing shadows on the dimly lit walls. Two men sat across from each other, separated by a small table on which the candle sat.

"We have come to ask that you begin your end of the agreement." The smaller man in the mask said.

The other man looked at him from beneath the hood of his coat. "He's here then?"

The smaller man nodded, causing the candle light to flicker and dance.

The hooded man rose to his feet, head nearly touching the roof. "Very well."

* * *

><p>Shinryu sighed with relief as he walked along Wreck Path, Night trotting at his side. "It is so good to be away from people now."<p>

Night nodded as they stopped, Shinryu stretching his arms as he sighed again. "Yes, it is good to be away from stinky, smelly, annoying humans."

"Oi!"

"What? You're not really human anyway Shinryu. You're a Chosen." Said Night with a purr as she advanced on Shinryu and knocked him over so she was standing over him. "You're my mate, so you aren't Human at all."

Shinryu sighed as he stared up into Night's crimson eyes. "Yeah, I guess you are right about that. I am not fully human, after all I stopped a Hitmonchan's Megapunch easily."

Night smiled down at her mate, licking his nose playfully. "Good. At least you understand that concept." She got off of him.

Shinryu stood up and pulled his Pokeballs off of his belt. "Come on out guys!" He shouted, and with a variance of colors many Pokémon appeared into existence.

Freya the Flygon hummed as she nuzzled Shinryu's shoulder, her Gentle Nature showing.

Dusk the Zoroark sat down next to Shinryu's right leg, looking up at her master with caring and trust.

Flare the Blaziken appeared next to Night, and the two immediately began talking with each other like old friends in their Pokespeak.

A Hydreigon roared as she levitated in the air to Shinryu's left, gently nipping at Shinryu's arm despite her Rash Nature.

A Salamence curled up on the ground somewhat away from the group, sinking into a nap.

"Hey Guys." Said Shinryu happily as he pet the Pokémon who were trying to get his attention. "Kaira, you are gentler than you let on as always." He told the Hydreigon, who let out a soft roar as she nuzzled into his hand. "And Dusk, great job against Alberon. He was definitely much tougher than any of the Elite Four in the other regions I've challenged." Dusk grinned happily, closing her eyes as a pleased look crossed her face. "And Freya, the Goddess of Contest. You did wonderful in your first actual battle against someone. You did a brilliant job." Freya hummed as she nuzzled against Shinryu's shoulder.

The Salamence's snore filled the air.

"Phera? Are you sleeping?" Asked Shinryu as he maneuvered around his Pokémon easily and appeared next to the snoring Salamence. "Oh well... I guess you miss dinner."

The result was immediate: Phera awoke and looked at Shinryu. Her eyes literally said: "Food?"

"Hahaha! I wouldn't make you miss food if I have the chance." Shinryu said as he lowered his bag to the ground and began to dig through it. He eventually pulled out a container of PokeBlocks and then a case of Poffins, and finally a mixer and a box of Apricorns. "Alright, those who want PokeBlocks first line up now. Poffins will be handed out also, and the Aprijuice later. Kaira and Phera, since you two mostly hunt you can go ahead and leave to find some food. Just be careful, we don't know how strong the Wild Pokémon of this region are."

Phera and Kaira both roared in acknowledgment as they took to the air and flew off in opposite directions. The rest lined up to receive their PokeBlocks.

Five minutes later, his Pokémon were eating on their treats happily while Shinryu was blending together the Apricorn juice.

Soon, Flare came up to Shinryu and sat down next to him.

"Hey girl... Do you miss him?" Asked Shinryu as he was shaking the blender.

Flare nodded, her eyes slightly saddened.

"That's okay... So do I." Shinryu placed the still unfinished blend of Aprijuice as he placed a hand on Flare's shoulder. "Seth will be missed by both of us... He was your Master while I was his Brother..." He paused as a lone tear made its way down his cheek. "Seth... Was someone who I loved very much... Without him I wouldn't be alive today."

Flare cooed softly as she held Shinryu's head to her chest as he began to cry softly, although it wouldn't have been obvious to a passerby that he was crying because of the way Night was blocking his face from view when she approached also.

"Shinryu?" Asked Night tentatively.

"Y-yes Night?" Asked Shinryu over his sobbing.

"Are you okay?" Night approached and nuzzled Shinryu's arm with the side of her head that her scythe wasn't on.

Shinryu shook his head. "No... I am not okay, but then again I am also not depressed... Its just that if Seth wasn't alive when something happened, I wouldn't have met you."

Night's eyes softened as she stopped nuzzling her mate and stared into his eyes. "I understand... I understand all too well."

Flare let Shinryu go as she placed a hand on his cheek. She spoke in the tongue of the Pokémon, which Shinryu still couldn't understand.

"She says: Shinryu, if you don't calm down I am going to smack you."

Shinryu smiled at Flare, who smiled back at him as best as she could with her beak. "Alright. I will calm down now." He sat up and closed his eyes, taking deep calming breaths. As soon as he was done, he opened his eyes and looked at Flare again. "Alright, you ready for some training?"

Flare nodded.

"Good." He stood up and walked over to where the rest of his Pokémon were, Kaira and Phera having caught a couple of Scyther to eat and had returned during this. "Alright guys, you know the routine." He said as he continued past with Flare.

They reached a larger span of the area they were camped and Shinryu settled into a defensive stance. "It's been about a few months since I trained with you." He told Flare, who inclined her head also as she stared at Shinryu. "But lets see how well I improved! You can use whatever moves you want besides Special moves, because this is Physical."

Flare nodded.

"Alright! Lets go!" Shinryu shouted as a thin film of aura surrounded him. He ran forward, his steps creating slight indents in the ground.

Flare ran also, and the two met in the middle locked together as they caught each others punches.

They backed away and kicked each other, only to have their kicks intercept the others. The resulting shockwave that emitted from this pushed the two back, as Shinryu flipped around and landed in a tri-form crouch. (A/N: Think in the Animes where they land using their hand and end up in a crouch that way.) "Good! Now faster!" He shouted as his aura intensified until it was visible to the naked eye, slightly purplish and black as he ran faster towards Flare.

Flare ran faster as well, her superior speed making her reach Shinryu quickly so she used an Uppercut to hit Shinryu, who blocked the attack with a cross of his arms to protect his chest.

Shinryu soared through the air, flipping around as he landed on his feet and bent his knees to absorb the impact. "Sky Uppercut." He said as he recognized the move. "Good choice!" He ran again, jumping over a Low Kick from Flare and spinning around to hit Flare across the shoulder, knocking her over.

Flare used her arms and flipped back onto her feet, spinning around to kick at where Shinryu was.

Shinryu saw this so he brought his arm down and lifted himself out of reach and away from the powerful kick that a Blaziken was known to deal with their powerful legs. _Low Kick..._He thought as he landed and blocked an energy charged punch by bringing his arm up and pushing away the attack, the electricity staying away from his body as he brought his own punch in to his Flare.

_(One hour later...)_

Shinryu held up his hand as he landed again, signaling to Flare that is was time to stop. "That is good." He said before he sat down, concentrating on controlling his breathing.

Flare sat down also, her breathing fast and rapid.

"That was great." Shinryu said to Flare. "I have definitely gotten faster and stronger since the last time we fought. Thank you for the opportunity to fight you again."

"Blaziken!" Crowed Flare, a happy look in her eyes as if she had said 'thank you.'

Shinryu smiled as Night approached him and sat next to him. "Hey you." He said as he reached out and pulled her to him, a playful look in his eyes. "How much did you like the show?"

"Oh I loved it. You are definitely developing all of your abilities as a Chosen because your Aura just revealed itself." Answered Night as she stared into Shinryu's eyes.

"Oh?" Shinryu pulled back from Night and staring at her. "An Aura?"

Night grinned. "Yes, a purple and black Aura." She said happily.

Shinryu looked thoughtful, his eyes glazing as his mind began to wander.

"Shinryu?" Asked Night, pulling away from him and staring at the now unfocused Shinryu. She didn't get any response.

"_Night, I think he is finally heeding the Calling." _Flare said, bringing Night's attention onto her. _"He has resisted for eight years after all." _

Night nodded as she curled up next to Shinryu, a worried look in her eyes before she closed them and fell asleep, the day finally ending.

* * *

><p>Hyato and Lydia walked along with a skip in their step. Having just stopped for lunch, both of the Trainers were full of energy and ready to close the final gap between them and Tectra city. Lydia had one of her Pokémon out, a Venasaur, to help with moving obstacles out of the way.<p>

Even though the path had steepened, both trainers proceeded with silent happiness; until they came to the cliff. If the cliff from before was compared to this, then it would need to be renamed a speed bump. The cliff face before them stretched up at least 100 yards, probably more.

"I can't climb this." Hyato said immediately.

"Of course you wont be climbing this." Lydia retorted, "but then, how will we get up?"

"We could fly up on Archeops." Hyato suggested.

"No can do, Archeops fainted and I forgot to buy revives." Lydia said.

They stood there, lost in thought.

Finally Hyato did something. He walked into a clump of stone trees, and returned with two petrified sticks.

"What are those for?" Lydia asked.

"You'll see." Hyato said. He sat down and pulled out a piece of metal from his bag. He started chipping away at the sticks, near the end. It took a while, but he managed to fashion a point on the end of each stone stick.

Looking pleased with himself, Hyato took the sticks and started walking up and down the wall. "What are you doing?" Lydia asked.

Hyato turned to look at Lydia. "These stone trees are harder than the wall, I can climb if I use these." He explained.

"What if you fall," Lydia asked, with a worried tone.

"I wont" Hyato assured.

Lydia bit back her worry. "Fine, but don't try anything you cant do." Lydia was worried, but something about Hyato made her trust him.

Hyato smiled, and turned back to the wall. With the sticks in make-shift sheathes on his back, he began to climb. Lydia watched him for a bit, but decided to look away, unable to look any longer. Lydia started walking along the cliff face.

It wasn't long before Lydia noticed something on the cliff. From where they were before it had looked like a crack in the wall, but on closer inspection, it seemed to be intentional. Lydia went over to investigate, only to find a staircase built into the cliff, going all the way up.

Lydia looked back to see that Hyato was already halfway to the top, so she decided to surprise him by beating him there. Lydia went up the staircase, hastily at first, but slowing down due to fatigue.

By the time Hyato was nearly there, Lydia was waiting at the top. "Need a hand?" Lydia asked when Hyato was in arm's reach.

Hyato smiled, "Sure!" and reached out to take Lydia's hand. Lydia pulled with all her might, finally managing to bring Hyato over the ledge.

Hyato came up with impressive momentum, causing Lydia to fall backward, and Hyato to fall on top of her. Their gazes met, causing both to blush furiously. "Lydia." Hyato whispered.

"Y-yes?" Lydia said, her heart raising in velocity.

Hyato stared deep into Lydia's eyes, drawn in by the beauty of Lydia's ocean-blue orbs. After a long silent moment, Hyato moved and allowed Lydia to sit up.

They both sat there on the edge of the cliff, looking away from each other. Hyato's heart was beating fast and his face was red. He wasn't used to this feeling, and a thousand thoughts rushed through his head at light speed.

After a long uncomfortable silence, Lydia stood up and said, "Come on Hyato, Tectra city is close," offering her hand to Hyato.

Hyato smiled, a different kind of smile than his usual goofy overconfident smile. "Let's go." He said.

Hyato and Lydia set off down the last stretch of the path, almost all the way to Tectra city.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I hope this was another wonderful Chapter from the Perfectly Insane Duo! We give you our absolute best when it comes to this Story, Guaranteed!<br>~Veloran and Du Mar**_

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	10. Chaos U DON'T KNOW THE MEANING OF CHAOS!

_**Welcome back to another installment of Trema: Land of Victory. This time we are turning up the level of many aspects of the story. I hope you enjoy it. ~Du Mar**_

_Previously, on** Trema: Land of Victory:**_

"Night, I think he is finally heeding the Calling."_ Flare said, bringing Night's attention onto her. _"He has resisted for eight years after all."

_Night nodded as she curled up next to Shinryu, a worried look in her eyes before she closed them and fell asleep, the day finally ending._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten: Chaos? YOU DON'T KNOW THE MEANING OF CHAOS!<strong>

Shinryu found himself in a void, unable to see anything around him. He stood up, grunting as he pushed himself off of the ground. "Hello?" He called.

"Shinryu of the Ancient Varias line, welcome." Says a female voice that resonated through the void. "I am Arceus, and you are finally answering the Call of the Chosen."

Shinryu blanched. "Ar-Arceus?" He got down onto one knee and bowed his head. "I am honored to kneel before one as old and powerful as you."

"No, I am honored. You are the last of the Varias, a Bloodline that has protected this World for many ages. I previously believed that you were all dead, but when Night found you Eight years ago, I was astonished to tell the truth." A hand was placed on Shinryu's shoulder, and he looked up.

Shinryu gasped.

A woman was standing before him, a regal dress with designs akin to the drawings he has seen of Arceus. Her dress was long, and her hair a brilliant white. Her eyes were green, shining brightly with life and love.

"This is the Hall of Origin as you are able to see with your mortal self. No Human, Chosen or not, is able to stare at the majesty of the Hall and remain sane." The woman smiled down at Shinryu. "Now that you have answered the Call after so many years, I grant you the full Power of the Chosen."

Shinryu closed his eyes as a wave of pain erupts through his body, keeping his teeth clenched. When the pain stopped, he looked up to Arceus. "What happened?"

"I altered your body. You are now capable of assuming the form of the Pokémon that most matches your personality, use that Pokémons moves, and change back into your normal form at will. You can also choose to appear as a mixture of the two. However, it will take you a while to get used to these changes and somethings might be different when you awaken... Now go to sleep my Child."

Shinryu blacked out at that moment.

* * *

><p>Hyato and Lydia arrived on the main road just as it was getting dark. The sun had set beyond the land, and the occasional streetlight lit up the cobblestone foot-path. Though they had seen the skyline of Tectra City earlier, they were still quite a fair distance off and the night's darkness had swallowed up the city.<p>

"Tectra City isn't as close as we thought." Lydia complained, feet aching in her boots.

"I know… But we can't stop now…" Hyato said, dragging the soles of his shoes lazily.

Hyato and Lydia pressed on despite their drowsiness. They walked on what seemed like forever, before something happened.

A mist swept in suddenly, further weakening their range of sight.

"What's with this?" Lydia asked.

"This isn't normal mist," Hyato said, suddenly alert, "It's a Pokémon move."

Hyato and Lydia looked and listened for a Pokémon. The sound of clapping pierced the silence. "Very observant," came a voice, "you certainly don't disappoint." Hyato couldn't pinpoint the voice, it seemed to drift about randomly.

"Where are you?" Hyato asked, looking about randomly. Hyato and Lydia had stopped just under a streetlight, so they were clear against the night. A figure appeared down the road, steeping under another streetlight.

"Here I am Hyato." The man said, holding his arms out to his side. He wore a heavy deep blue coat, with a hood hiding his face.

"What do you want?" Hyato asked, voice full of trust.

Lydia, who didn't feel uneasy, asked Hyato, "Why are you acting like this?"

"You can't feel what I am feeling." Hyato said quietly. The man stood casually, but Hyato was battle ready, and had narrowed eyes.

"Then tell me what you feel." Lydia demanded.

Hyato, without turning his gaze, grabbed Lydia's forearm. A flood of negative energy filled Lydia, and was gone in an instant as Hyato let go. "That is what I feel from him." Hyato said.

"Do you know what I am?" The man asked, "Do you even know what you are? I doubt it." The man started walking forward, instantly disappearing into the thick shadow.

"I will wait until you awaken…" said the man from directly behind Hyato. He reappeared in the light ten feet behind them. "Then maybe you'll understand." He walked off into the night, taking the mist with him.

Hyato and Lydia stood frozen for many moments, before Hyato said. "Let's go… we'll arrive shortly."

Hyato and Lydia livened their pace, hoping to reach Tectra swiftly. It wasn't too long before they arrived, but the weight of the encounter weighed heavily on them. They maneuvered through the streets, forgetting everything they looked at, until they found an inn.

It was a simple motel with two floors and a small pool. Hyato got a room, only one was available, and the two trainers made their way to the room and each collapsed on the separate beds, too exhausted to change.

_(The Next Day)_

Hyato's sleep was restless, and morning came too soon. Lydia was fast asleep, but Hyato could not return to slumber. He showered and dressed for the day, not remembering if he thought about anything while he did.

Lydia was up by the time Hyato was finished with his morning routine. Lydia said nothing as she pushed past him to the bathroom. "I'm going out." Hyato called.

"Kay," Lydia responded, still sleepy from the sounds of it.

Hyato left the motel room, stepping for what seemed like the first time, into the streets of Tectra City. The skyscrapers in the city center drew Hyato's eyes immediately. They were tall and majestic, and made mostly out of stone. They looked like a cross between towers and mountains, standing tall and the same color of the deep brown stone of the nearby mountain.

Hyato wasn't surprised to see many stone buildings, but the amount of metal and plastic buildings was not something you think of when you think of the stone city. It didn't take long for Hyato to find the Pokémon Gym, it was bright green, standing out from the deep and dull colors of the city. Hyato made his way to the Gym through the nearly empty streets.

The doors to the Gym were normal, which Hyato was thankful for, he didn't want to solve another puzzle so early in the morning. Hyato reached for the door, and found that it wouldn't open. "You've got to be kidding me!" Hyato said.

Irked, Hyato left immediately, picking a random direction and storming off. He walked for a while, coming to a rather large circular area in the middle of town. There were no buildings; it was like a park without any trees or grass. There was just a massive blot of dirt in the middle of a ring of buildings.

Hyato wondered why this was here, so he walked out into it. Nobody else was in this dirt area, they all walked around the massive circle. Hyato quickly found out why. Though he couldn't see it from the street, there was an enormous hole about 100 yards in diameter. It was very deep, the bottom couldn't be seen and air came out of it suggesting it was deeper that the buildings were tall.

Hyato returned to the road, wondering if there was a way to get cheered up. Hyato continued down the curvy roads of Tectra, looking for something to do.

It wasn't long before something hit him. It was a rock and it hit him in the head. Hyato snapped his gaze in the direction the rock came from, to see something surprising. Two rival gangs and their Pokémon were fighting.

The anger that had been building up in Hyato threatened to burst. Hyato knew that if he didn't find a way to vent he would soon erupt. Hyato couldn't control the muscles of his face, they were locked in an angry demeanor as he thought what to do.

Then the gang war was upon him. They had moved suddenly and quite unexpectedly, throwing Hyato in the middle of a flurry of fists. A stray punch grazed Hyato's face, and that was it.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" Hyato roared with tremendous force. "I'LL TRASH YOU ALL!" Hyato began punching and kicking like a rampaging Primeape, sending many gang members to the ground. Hyato's outburst had only increased the ferocity of the struggle. The rival gangs and Hyato became very loud as bruises were passed out indiscriminately.

Hyato raged with a fire in his eyes as he fought, burning hotter than an Infernape in his combat. The gang members who had enough intelligence not to be overwhelmed by adrenaline had backed off. Hyato found himself standing alone in a ring of miscreants, accompanied only by those too weak to get off the ground.

A woman stepped just inside the ring, wearing the red designs of one of the gangs. "You're a Trema league challenger right?" She asked.

Hyato panted, not out of exhaustion but out of adrenaline, "Yes." He responded.

"I'm Mari, leader of the Red Psychs." She said, "You know that you can be expelled from the league for participating in gangs right?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I wanted to challenge the league too, but I can't because of my record." She said, "So if you want to follow your dream I suggest you get out of here."

"You're just worried about your own hide." Hyato said rudely.

"Of course I am, I don't want a maniac hurting my family!" Mari retorted.

Hyato calmed down a bit. "Sorry… I don't know what came over me…" Hyato felt ashamed. The other gang had already left with their wounded.

The Red Psychs began treating their wounded, and celebrating their victory. "Thanks anyway," Mari said, "You actually helped us keep this territory."

"You're welcome… I guess." Hyato said. "Hey do you know where I can find tough Pokémon? I think I need to train before I challenge the Gym."

"You could always train outside the city, but there are some rare Pokémon underneath it." Mari said.

"Underneath it? Like in that big hole?" Hyato asked.

"Exactly, but climbing down it is hard work." Mari said, "If you're gonna go I'd suggest bringing extra supplies."

"Thank you Mari, You've given me an idea." Hyato said before running off.

* * *

><p>Shinryu groaned as he stood up, his body feeling stiff as he came to in a sitting position. He looked down and smiled at Night, who was curled up next to him. He stretched, sighing as his bones popped. <em>Much better... But who was that female voice in my head? <em>He wondered as he looked around. _Why can't I remember that dream?_ He saw that it was in the middle of the night, and all of his Pokémon were sleeping peacefully around where he was. He smiled as he sat back down, staring at the sleeping form of Night. _Now that I know what I truly am... I know you mean much to me now. _He stood up again and began to carefully navigate his way around his sleeping Pokémon to his bag, where he pulled out a tent and began to set it up.

At the same moment the tent was set up, Shinryu sensed something was watching him so he looked around. _Who's here? _He saw a bunch of black forms, but they fled away the moment he saw them, buzzing off faster than he could pull out his Pokédex. _What Pokémon were they? _He wondered to himself. _They were fast._

* * *

><p>Night opened her eyes at the sound of the buzzing and yawned. She looked where Shinryu was when she fell asleep and jumped to her feet, looking around for him. <em>Where'd he go? <em>She thought desperately, and then she saw the tent that had been erected. She carefully made her way over to the tent and entered it to find Shinryu taking his clothes off. "There you are."

Shinryu turned and smiled at Night. "So, you awoke." He said as he pulled off his boots after unlacing them.

Night gasped, Shinryu's eyes were now a complete Crimson in color, and his hair had a streak of black for the bangs. He had visible fangs as he smiled at her, and his hands had the beginnings of claws, which were a midnight black in color. His right cheek had a Yin-Yang symbol that was silvery in color for the dark part, and his skin tone for the rest. "What... What happened to you?"

Shinryu shrugged. "I don't know, but this feels natural to me."

Night sat there with wide eyes as she stared at Shinryu. _He... He... He is sexy... _She thought, her eyes taking in Shinryu's new form.

Shinryu's body was rippling with powerful muscle as he sat down on his sleeping bag. It wasn't large enough to hinder his movements, but definitely strong enough to handle a Fighting Type Pokémon from her memories of the Hitmonchan that nearly decked him. "Come here."

Night nodded as she approached Shinryu, who reached out and hugged her to him. "Mmmm... Getting dominant?"

"You could say that." Growled Shinryu, who held Night to him possessively.

Night smiled as her form began to shimmer slightly.

Shinryu released Night and backed away, a confused look on his eyes. _Is she evolving? _He wondered as Night was surrounded in a white bath of energy. When the energy faded, Shinryu couldn't resist his jaw from dropping. _Holy hell! _He thought.

Night was sitting in front of him, however she wasn't her normal form. She was about 5'11", had long legs, her breasts were about D size, her face was humanoid in structure, with her scythe curling cutely around her right ear, and she was leaning to the left with her left arm braced against the ground. Her fur was sleek, and her tail was still there. "I just thought I'd show you my anthro form." She giggled, staring at the star-struck Shinryu.

Shinryu's mind:_ Loading... Loading... Error: File not recognized. System reboot initiated. _His nose was dribbling drops of blood as he stared blankly at Night's new form, his mind having just short-circuited.

_Heheh... Oops, I think that was too much... _Thought Night as she crawled forwards and placed her hand against Shinryu's cheek, her breasts pressing against his chest as she tapped him gently. "Hey, are you awake yet?" She asked gently, slight concern pouring off of her voice.

Shinryu's mind: _Reboot complete: Scanning terrain. Lifeform detected: Night, Pokémorph Absol. _He shook his head rapidly and rubbed his eyes. "My eyes are playing tricks on me."

"No, they aren't." Night whispered gently, pushing Shinryu onto his back and climbing on top of him. "This is all real." She pressed against the bulge of his member with her ass, causing Shinryu to groan. "And I am going to have fun with my new play toy." She purred.

**Lemon Start**

Shinryu growled as he stared up at Night. "You..." His breathing hitched as he felt Night reach around and grab his cock through his boxers.

"This is mine. No one else can have this."

"Y-yes!" Shinryu groaned, his eyes closing as Night lifted off of him enough to push his boxers down his waist.

"Ooh... You're ready to play aren't you?" She asks as she sat back down, her pussy nestled right over his male pride.

Shinryu couldn't help but nod. _And to think I was a virgin before she did that last night..._

Night smirked. "You went from dominant to completely submissive just because you find out I can take this form." She began to rub herself along Shinryu's dick, causing him to groan with pleasure. "And look at you now, completely at my mercy." She continued rubbing against Shinryu as she pinned his arms down so he couldn't move, grinning as she stared down at the pleasure-ridden male below her. "Do you want me?" She whispered into his ear.

"Yes!" Shinryu moaned, his hips moving of their own accord against Night, trying to insert himself into Night's moist tunnel.

Night smiled as she kissed Shinryu gently, stopping her motions as she released his arms and began to engage into a fierce make-out session with her soul-mate. As she was kissing him, one hand placed behind his head as she deepened the kiss, Night used her other hand to guide Shinryu's length to her entrance.

Night pulled back, staring down at Shinryu with a smile as she impaled herself upon his rod. She gasped as he sunk right in to the hilt, moaning as he bumped against her cervix.

Shinryu moaned loudly, grabbing onto Night's hips and holding her down reflexively as his claws dug into her skin through her fur.

Night leaned down and nibbled on Shinryu's left ear, smirking to herself at the effect it had on him as he growled deeply as if purring. She raised her hips slowly, feeling Shinryu slide inside of her as she brought herself high enough to let his tip rest barely within her nethers before she quickly thrust back down, gasping at the sensations she felt.

Shinryu growled as he tightened his grip on Night's hips and began to thrust into her with a feral abandon, leaving her gasping with pleasure as Shinryu was moving within her.

"Shinryu!" Moaned Night, collapsing against him because her arms gave out. "Faster!"

With a grunt, Shinryu flipped the two of them over and began to pound into Night with wild thrusts, staring down at her pleasure-ridden form as he held himself over her with his hands on either side of her body. "Mine." He growled as he increased his tempo, causing Night to cry out as he began to push against her cervix and inside of it with another few thrusts.

"Oh! Yes!" Night shouted as she clawed at Shinryu's back, drawing blood.

Shinryu grunted as he continued to thrust into Night, rubbing the inner walls of her womb with his length. He clenched his teeth, trying to hold back the upcoming release that was beginning to build up like a thickly-coiled spring.

Night began panting heavily, holding on to Shinryu as he was thrusting within her inner-most depths.

With a growl, Shinryu bit into Night's neck as he mashed his hips against hers one final time, spurting his load deep within her womb.

They both laid there, panting together as Shinryu licked Night's neck gently to clean away the blood.

"Th-that was amazing." Whispered Night, kissing Shinryu once he was done licking away her blood.

"Good." Shinryu growled huskily as he pulled back from her kiss. He groaned as he felt Night's vaginal muscles clench around his softening dick. "You want more don't you?" He asked, his voice returning to normal slightly.

"Why of course. I still have to mark you as you have done me." Night had flipped them back around and was on top of Shinryu. She smiled at him as he just lay there, utterly exhausted. "Is my man tired?" She asked softly, leaning down to touch her nose to his gently.

"Yes..." Shinryu barely let out the words. "Very..."

"Then I guess we can wait until the next time..." Night lifted her body up and pulled off of Shinryu's cock, his seed pouring out of her as soon as they disconnected. _Oh my... That is much more than before... _She thought as she pulled his bag closer and dug through it to find a rag to clean themselves off.

Once she was done cleaning him, she cleaned herself and settled next to him, wrapping her arms around Shinryu's waist and falling into blissful sleep alongside her mate.

* * *

><p>Shinryu groaned as he awoke to the sound of a deep roar from outside of the tent. <em>That sounded like Kaira... <em>He thought as he pushed himself up out of his bed, dislodging the still sleeping anthropomorphic Night. He pulled on his boxers and pants quickly and unzipped the tent flap, stepping outside. He blinked at the bright sunlight, and stared around. He sighed to himself as he saw Kaira and Phera bickering amongst themselves. "Alright." He said, stepping forward and mentally causing his changes to revert himself back to 'normal'. "Break it up you two. What happened to cause you to get so territorial to each other?" He asked for the hell of it, stepping in to push each Dragon away from the other.

"_Well, she attempted to steal my Leppa Berries!" _Growled Kaira.

"_No I didn't! I was counting them!" _Phera growled back.

Shinryu blinked and shook his head rapidly. _What? _He asked himself mentally, clearly confused.

"_I don't believe that Phera! You want to steal my Leppa Berries! Admit it!"_

"_No I do not!" _Snapped Phera, her teeth clicking against each other. _"You know I don't like them."_

"Umm..." Shinryu was blinking rapidly. "I know what you two are talking about..."

Phera and Kaira both stopped, and turned to stare at their Master. _"What?" _They exclaimed at the same time, surprise evident in their 'voices'.

"I said I know what you are talking about..." Shinryu started. "Kaira, you know that Phera does not like Leppa berries right?"

Kaira and Phera both looked over at each other, clearly surprised that Shinryu understood them.

"_Umm..." _Started Kaira, obviously embarrassed. _"Now I do... I am sorry Phera for assuming that you were trying to steal my Leppa Berries."_

"_Apology accepted Kaira. And Shinryu, how in the name of Arceus do you understand us?" _Shouted Phera, staring over at Shinryu. Her eyes piercing into him as he Intimidate Ability activated.

Shinryu gulped as he shivered slightly, his mind shouting: _RUN!_ "I can understand you now because of who you mentioned. Arceus probably granted that ability to me."

"_Oh... Wait, did my Intimidate scare you?" _Phera asked, tilting her head at Shinryu.

Shinryu nodded. "Yes, it did. I don't know why though... I thought I was immune to it after being around you for so long."

Phera nodded as she retreated from Shinryu, and Kaira had returned to eating her Leppa Berries happily.

Shinryu sighed as he shook his head and turned around as he heard something behind him. He looked down and saw Dusk standing there, staring up at him curiously. "Oh, hey Dusk. How are you doing?"

"_I am doing fine master." _Dusk started saying, not really knowing that he could understand her now. _"I just wanted to know if you wanted a hug?" _She asked, holding out her arms in a gesture to show she wanted one.

Shinryu chuckled as he bent down and picked the Zoroark up into a hug. "Yes, I'd like a hug. And you know I can understand you now right?" He asked, letting Dusk hang in his arms as he held her out to stare into her eyes.

"_What? You can understand me? … If you can, the repeat this: Illusions are Deadly if handled incorrectly."_

"Illusions are Deadly if handled incorrectly." Shinryu repeated with a smile as he placed her back onto the ground.

"_Oh! You can understand me!" _Dusk was giddy as she bounced around the ground near Shinryu. _"Yay! I've always wanted to talk with you! What should we talk about? What do you like? What is your favorite thing to do?" _She continued to bounce around. _"What is the kind of food you like the most? What is your interest? What is the thing you cherish the most?"_

"Whoa... Calm down girl." Shinryu laughed. "You're going too fast."

"_Sorry master..." _Dusk went into a pout.

"Dusk, its okay. And don't call me Master, just call me Shinryu."

"_But..."_

"Dusk, please. I am not anyone's Master. You came with me of your own free will, remember?" Shinryu smiled at Dusk, who nodded.

"_Okay... Shinryu." _Dusk smiled up at Shinryu, and hugged his legs.

Shinryu pet Dusk's head as he smiled down at her. "Thanks. Now, I am going to go wake up Night. Could you let me go now?" He asked gently.

Dusk nodded and released Shinryu's legs, going over to go wake up Freya and Flare.

Shinryu sighed to himself as he walked back over to his tent and peeked his head inside. He smiled at Night's sleeping form, and stepped inside carefully to go over to her.

Kneeling next to the Disaster Anthro, Shinryu carefully placed his hand on Night's cheek. "Alright sleepyhead. Time to wake up."

Night's snore was his response.

_Well... Let's see... How many times have you woken me up rudely? _Thought Shinryu as he removed his hand from her cheek and moved it to hover over her ass. _Quite often. _He answered himself as he raised his arm all the way up. He brought it down and smacked Night's ass hard.

"Ahh!" Exclaimed Night, jumping awake and rolling away from Shinryu. "That hurt. What'd you do that for?"

"I just woke you up." Shinryu said simply. "Better revert to your normal form. We're leaving soon." He stood up and smirked down at Night, who was rubbing her ass that was now bright red through her fur. He packed his bedroll into his bag and left the tent.

_Grr... _Night thought as she began to return to her normal form. _I will get you back for that!_

Shinryu smiled at Night as she walked out of the tent in her Absol form and began to take down the tent. As soon as he was done, he packed it away and began to get fully dressed.

As soon as he finished getting dressed, Shinryu turned to his Pokémon. "Alright everyone, time to go back." He pulled out their respective Pokéballs and recalled them all except for Night. He set them into his belt and looked down at his mate. "Ready to go?" He asked, smiling at her.

_Why you... _"Yes." Night answered simply.

**Lemon End**

* * *

><p>As they were walking down Wreck Path, Shinryu could spot a variety of bug types and fire types running around, but they avoided them. He heard the sound of someone running behind him, so he turned around to look and see who it was.<p>

"There you are! I heard you were here in Trema Richard." Shouted a man that Shinryu didn't recognize. "I am glad I caught up to you."

"Umm..." Shinryu paused. "Who are you?" _And how in the Hell did you find me? I never told anyone my destination... _He thought as the wind picked up slightly and began to cause dead leaves to dance in the air.

The man face-faulted. "You don't remember me?"

"I don't know you." Shinryu said again.

"Its me, Arthur. You're best friend. Remember me now?" The man asked, looking hurt.

Shinryu blinked rapidly. "Ar-Arthur?" He exclaimed, surprise evident in his face now as he stared at the man standing before him who was grinning widely. "I thought you were in a Coma!" _You're awake now! … But the guy who did this still hasn't been found... I swore I would pay him back for what he did to you._

Arthur smiled at Shinryu, his green eyes bright with excitement. "I was, but I woke up about a month ago. I had been transferred to the PokéCenter here before I woke up at the request of your Grandfather." His brown hair was around shoulder length, and was tied back so it wouldn't get in his eyes. His clothing was simple travel gear anyone could buy at a store: Kahki's and a thick shirt. He wore his bag over his shoulder, and he stood at around six foot even.

Shinryu was taken aback. "You mean... You've been in Trema all this time?" _Why did I never find this out? I was his best friend..._

"Yes, I have." Arthur looked over at Night, who was staring at him curiously. "And this must be that Absol that made you famous in Hoenn." He reached out a hand to pet her, but stopped. "May I?" He asked Night, who inclined her head and stepped forward.

Shinryu watched as Arthur began to scratch behind Night's ears with amazement. "You know, she doesn't normally allow people to pet her. Only me, my sister, and Oak have ever been able to without her biting us back." He said idly as he heard Night start to purr. _Okay... That is a once in a life time sight. Night doesn't like people._ He thought as he idly scratched his head, surprise evident in his eyes.

"Oh, Pokémon love me." Arthur said as he continued scratching Night, smiling all the while as he got down on one knee and scratched harder in one spot. Night's purr became louder as he did this.

Shinryu chuckled. "Well, I guess you're right." He looked Arthur in the eye. "But how did you know where I was heading? I never left word as to where I was going." _Not even to Professor Alpine..._

"Oh? That." Arthur smiled as he stood back up. "Simple really. You challenged Water First. Fire then Earth, then Wind. That is your plan of course right?"

Shinryu blinked. _How in the Hell... Oh yeah, he was your best friend before the incident. _He smiled and laughed again. "You know me so well, even after all of this time." He regarded Arthur again, noting how well he looked compared to how long he was Comatose. "Umm... If you just woke up from your Coma, how come you look so healthy?"

Arthur shrugged. "I was forced to exercise and stuff until I was back in health before they would release me. Hey! I got an idea!"

"What?" Asked Shinryu, tilting his head as curiosity built.

"Oh wait... Damn it's gone..." Arthur sighed as he leaned against a stone expanse. "Oh well."

Shinryu shook his head. "You may be physically okay, but I highly doubt your mind has caught up with you." He said as he began walking again. _I never expected to see you awake in my life... Things have surely changed._

Arthur quickly pushed away from the stone he was leaning against and began to walk with Shinryu also. "So, what's the rush?" He asked, trying to keep up with Shinryu's pace due to his longer legs.

"I just want to get to Gateway City and get things over with." Shinryu said, Night walking next to him silently.

"Ah... You've developed a dislike of cities haven't you?"

Shinryu stopped in his path and turned to Arthur slowly, his eyebrow raised questioningly. "How do you know so much about me? We haven't talked in Eight years after that guy showed up." _Not very many people know that. And it developed after you were in a Coma..._

Arthur chuckled. "Its obvious. The way you said that hinted at a dislike of Cities. I've found myself to be pretty good at Psychology."

Shinryu nodded. "Okay, I am convinced." He continued walking again, Arthur and Night following along. _Psychology huh? Well, I should be careful around him. Who knows what he's capable of with that._

* * *

><p>Lydia was battling a random trainer when Hyato showed up. "Hey Hyato," Lydia called. Hyato came over.<p>

"How's it going?" Hyato said, indicating the battle. Just then Lydia's Venasaur let out a solarbeam, defeating the enemy trainers Golem crushingly.

"I just won." Lydia said happily. The other trainer returned his Golem, handed Lydia the prize money and rushed off to the Pokémon center. "Return Miranda," Lydia said, withdrawing her Venasaur.

Hyato smiled, no longer stressed out. "Sweet. I'm going to challenge the Tectra Gym later, but I needed this first." Hyato held up a small backpack that was packed close.

"What's that for?" Lydia asked.

"Come with me and you'll see." Hyato said, smiling with an unknown secret. Lydia followed Hyato curiously as he made his way back through the town.

Hyato led Lydia to the great big hole in the ground. By now there were many more people out and about. It was almost noon. Hyato turned to Lydia. "Wait here," he said.

A few minutes later Hyato's voice sounded through the courtyard. "EVERYONE LISTEN UP!" Hyato called, causing many people to stop and look up. Hyato stood on the roof of a nearby stone skyscraper, standing up on the rim. "I am HYATO! I am a Trema league challenger, and I'll be the first to become Champion!"

Hyato was like a hero, standing out above everyone. Many people kept walking on, but a large crowd of listeners had gathered. "What makes you better than me!" a random trainer called out, straining his voice so it would travel so far.

"What makes me better!" Hyato repeated, "I'LL SHOW YOU!" Hyato dramatically pointed at the hole, "There are powerful rare Pokémon down there! AND I"LL GO CATCH SOME!" Hyato faced the hole and held his arms out like a bird.

Lydia only just realized what Hyato had planned. "NO HYATO, DON'T!" She protested, yelling as loud as she could.

But Hyato jumped. It seemed to happen in slow motion, Hyato was suspended high above the air, falling slowly towards the center of the great hole. He seemed to hang in the air forever, but all to soon descended into the pit.

No one moved or made a sound. They had just seen a boisterous Trainer leap into the great pit from the top of a skyscraper, swallowed up by the shadow. Everyone stood frozen for many moments, waiting for a sound. But no sound ever came.

Thirty minutes later most of the people had left, but a few remained. Among them was Lydia. Her heart was racing a million miles a second.

"Man, that Hyato is Awesome." One trainer said at last.

"I know, he just jumped in!" another said.

"I heard he raced a Blastoise in swimming, and won!" a third trainer said.

"Whoa, I heard he wrestled a Machamp!" the first trainer said.

The remaining trainers other than Lydia were all talking about Hyato as if he were a super-star. But Lydia could barely move, she didn't feel real. 'He must have survived,' she thought, 'Hyato wouldn't die… would he?'

"Did you see him put that parachute on before he jumped?" A trainer with a cowboy hat said.

"No, I didn't see that." Another trainer said.

"Wow… he's good." The cowboy hat trainer said, mystified.

_Lydia breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't recognized the backpack when he first showed her, but now she remembered. Lydia felt safe enough to leave, Hyato wouldn't be back for some time, and there was no point in hanging around._

* * *

><p>The scenery changed after about an hour of walking, turning into a forest of Ash trees.<p>

Shinryu stopped in his path and pulled out his Pokégear. _Where am I now? _He wondered as he checked his map. _Ah... Ash Forest. Good! Gateway City is just across from here! _He slipped the Pokégear back into his pocket and continued.

As the three were walking, a lone person was seen standing in their path up ahead.

Shinryu sighed as he saw the getup the man was wearing: A shirt of black with an intricate symbol emblazoned on the front of bright gold. A utility belt around a pair of knee-padded stylish-looking pants. A tinted visor covered the man's eyes as he stared over at them, and an elaborate bracer was on his right arm that held three Pokéballs in it. He was carrying a nightstick, and was directly in the path of Shinryu and Arthur.

"Ah..." Shinryu started. "You must be a member of Team Chaos, correct?" He asked confidently.

The man nodded. "Correct. I am pleased you recognize our uniform. I am here to recruit those on their way to Gateway City."

Shinryu chuckled, his laugh dark and menacing to Arthur who backed away with fright. "I wouldn't count on it, Grunt. I don't want to serve a Boss who only cares about himself and is manipulating his underlings."

"Oi! Watch your tongue you brat!" Shouted the Chaos Grunt.

Shinryu laughed harder. "Brat? Brat? Ha! No, I am no brat. I am twenty-three years old, and have faced off against Team Rocket, Magma, Aqua, Galactic, and Plasma. And won every single time." He glared at the Grunt before him, his eyes revealing a bit of their true color as they became flecked. "If I were you, I'd back off before I got pissed."

"What do I care if you get pissed?" Growled the Grunt, picking a Pokéball from his bracer and enlarging it. "You will join us whether you like it or not! Come on out Nightail."

Shinryu reacted quickly, jumping back as a large black-and-red fox darted after him and flipped through the air. He landed and grabbed the fox by the nape of its neck and held it down easily. "Pathetic... Attacking a trainer directly." He growled as he released the Nightail and jumped to avoid its bite as Night rushed into the fray.

"_You bastard!" _Yelled Night in her Pokéspeech as she used her Headbutt to knock the fox away from Shinryu and stood in between it and her mate.

Shinryu was standing behind Night now, a look of fury on his face that could scare even the most battle-hardened Soldiers in the Army. "Big mistake. You are taking on the Dragonsong, just so you know." He grinned as a canine poked out from under his lip. He pulled out his Pokédex. "Night, do what you will while I get info on that Pokémon."

"_With pleasure!" _Night rushed forward and blurred out as she used Quick Attack. She dodged the retaliatory swipe and smacked the Nightail hard in its side.

***Ping* {Pokédex entry: Nightail, Type: Fire-Dark, Nightail is the darker form of Ninetails, evolved from a Vulpix using a Dusk Stone. A Nightail is capable of intense fire attacks and has a number of tails depending on its power, with six being the max.}**

Shinryu put his Pokédex away. "Night! Use X-Scissor!"

Night growled as she evaded an attack from the Nightail. Her horn glowed a brilliant green color and she slashed at the Nightail, hitting it in the back.

"Damn it! Weak Pokémon!" Roared the Chaos Grunt as he aimed a kick at the Nightail.

Shinryu's cool broke. With a rush of speed unexpected by Arthur or the Grunt, he leaped over Night towards the startled Grunt. His look was that of pure murder as he landed next to the Grunt and reached out, grabbing the man by the throat and lifting him up like he was just a feather.

"Agh! Lemme go!"

Shinryu's eyes burned with anger as he approached a nearby tree and slammed the Grunt into the trunk, bark bursting from the tree from the force. "There will be no way in HELL!" He shouted, his punch hitting the Grunt in the Solar Plexus, causing him to gasp with pain. "That I will let you!" Another punch, to the same spot. "Do that again!" He was about to punch again, but Arthur had grabbed Shinryu's wrist, causing him to stop. "What are you doing?" He growled angrily, stopping his movements so he didn't hurt Arthur on accident.

"Stop... If you kill him, you won't be able to participate in the Trema League." Arthur said softly, holding on to Shinryu's wrist.

"But he abused his Pokémon!" Shouted Shinryu angrily.

"Richard, I know." Arthur looked slightly irked. "However, I do know that the Trema League is more strict on Criminal Records and who can participate. If you hadn't have had any backing by Oak during that time you nearly killed someone in Unova, you wouldn't be here. And yes, I know of that. I was filled in on a lot of your adventures by Oak and Birch."

Shinryu growled as he released the Grunt, who collapsed to the ground with a groan of pain. "You're lucky I didn't do anything serious. Let your Team know that I will not stand for the abuse of Pokémon. If I catch word that they do that again, I will personally eradicate Team Chaos. And believe me, it won't take much trouble on my part." He reached down and ripped the visor from the Chaos Grunt and forced him to look him in the eyes. **"Do you understand me?" **His voice became commanding, powerful and forceful to the weaker minded man before him. Arthur released his wrist and backed away, surprised at the display before him.

"Y-yes!" Cried out the Grunt, his blue eyes shining with fear as he attempted to stay as far away from Shinryu as he could, fully against the tree. He was breathing rapidly, staring up at the furious Dark Trainer standing over him. "Yes! I understand! Just let me go please!" He screamed.

Shinryu growled again, but moved away and tossed the visor back to the Grunt. "Leave now, before I change my mind." He glared at the Grunt.

The Grunt returned his visor to its place and quickly stood up, going to recall Nightail.

"No." Shinryu growled, snatching the Pokeball from the Grunt and crushing it in his fist, causing a light film of light to erupt from the ruptured capsule. "You leave without the Nightail. You don't deserve it."

The Grunt gulped and began running towards Gateway City with all haste, looking over his shoulder once and then running right into a tree, hard. "GAH!"

Shinryu shook his head. _Idiots as always... _He looked at the startled Nightail that was lying on the ground in a submissive position. "You can go now. You're free." He turned to Arthur, who was staring at him curiously. "What?"

"You..." Arthur hesitated. "You moved faster than I ever thought someone could move. Your reflexes are on par if not better than a Fighting type Pokemon's... How did you do that?"

Shinryu hesitated, his eyes returning to the silver color of his disguise. "I trained with Pokémon all of my life." He said simply. "I have broken almost all of the bones in my body from training with them, and now I know the limits I have completely. I also know what I can do." He opened his hand and let the crushed Pokéball fall to the forest floor.

The Nightail was still lying submissively on the ground, staring up at Shinryu with awe. _"Why... Why did you save me?" _He asked, not really knowing that Shinryu could understand it.

Shinryu looked back at the black fox and smiled. "Well, it seems you don't want to leave. Would you like to travel with me as my companion?"

The Nightail blinked. And then nodded. _"Yes! I would like to travel with you!" _It said as it stood up and began to run around him.

Shinryu and Arthur laughed at this, smiling at the ecstatic Nightail. "Alright." He reached into his bag and pulled out a Pokéball, enlarging it. "Would you sit still?" He asked, a large smile on his face.

The Nightail stopped and sat down, its three tails wagging happily as he stared up at Shinryu. _"Okay! Okay!"_

"Seems to me that you've enthralled the Pokémon." Said Arthur, laughing.

Shinryu leaned down and tapped the Pokéball gently against the Nightail's forehead.

The Pokémon was absorbed into the capsule device and almost immediately the Pokéball dinged, stating a successful capture.

Arthur blinked. "Wow... It really wanted to join you."

Shinryu smirked as he tossed the Pokéball into the air. The Nightail rematerialized as the ball returned to his hand. "Alright, time to decide upon a nickname for you." He sat down and stared at the Fox, who was watching Shinryu curiously. "How about Nox?" He asked.

The Nightail shook his head.

"Hmm... Charon? No..." Shinryu looked stumped for once. "Damn, I can't think of anymore nicknames."

Arthur laughed. "Did you use them all on other Pokémon?"

"Actually, yes." Shinryu looked over at his friend. "I have a lot of Pokémon, and they all have nicknames." He turned back to the Nightail, who was staring at Shinryu curiously. "Hmm... Helios wouldn't work, it does fit Fire, but not Dark." He had a look of contemplation upon his face. "I would call you Shadow, but I already named another Pokémon I have Shadow... This is difficult now..." He sighed as he scratched his head.

"How about Azar?" Asks Arthur, making a suggestion.

Shinryu blinked and stared at the Nightail to see its reaction. "Do you like the name Azar?"

"_I like it!" _Exclaimed the fox happily, jumping up and licking Shinryu's cheek.

Shinryu laughed as he pushed the ecstatic Fox Pokémon from him. "Okay, okay. I get it, you like the name." He stood up. "Well, we should be going now. Azar return." Once the Nightail was withdrawn into its Pokéball, Shinryu set it into his belt. _I need to get a Custom Kit again. _He thought as he turned to the others. "Alright! Lets get to Gateway now."

* * *

><p>Early evening was fast approaching as Shinryu, Night, and Arthur entered Gateway City. The first thing they saw was the Gate that gave the City its name, a large wall that surrounded the outer part of the City on the only stretch of land that was inhabitable. The Canyon that ran along either side of the City serparated the Region in half, preventing passage to those that don't have the Four Badges to Activate the Gate Mechanism.<p>

_Hmm... I am betting on severe updrafts and downdrafts going on over the Chasms... They won't be passable that way. So this really is the only way through to the rest of the Region. _Thought Shinryu as he walked down the marble streets. The City wasn't much of a city, but a large town in his opinion because there weren't very many large Skyscrapers. _Well, at least I prefer this to a City like Auburn. _He thought as he walked to the nearest Hotel he saw. He entered and approached the desk. "Good afternoon. I would like to rent a room for the day and night for me, and another room for my friend."

The man operating the desk nodded. "That will be 20000 Pokedollars per room, and please note that Pokémon are to remain in their Pokéballs here." He said calmly, staring down at Night. Night glared back at him silently.

Shinryu shrugged as he pulled out Night's Pokéball and recalled her, although reluctantly. "So, forty thousand total?" He asked, his voice completely void of emotion.

"Yes sir."

Shinryu reached into his pocket and pulled his Traner Card out. He slid it in the scanner, and selected to pay by wiring the Cash. "There. Can I have the keys?" He asked stoically, his eyes boring into the man in front of him.

"Yes, here you go." The man handed Shinryu two keys. One was labeled '14' and the other '18'. Shinryu turned back to Arthur and handed him the first key before he walked towards the elevator. Pushing the button to hail it, he stood there waiting calmly.

"You okay man?" Asked Arthur, looking at Shinryu now that he was standing next to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." _Who are you kidding? No, you aren't. You don't like withdrawing Night. _He thought to himself as the elevator doors opened and he stepped inside. He waited until Arthur stepped in before he pressed the button for the third floor, where rooms 11-20 were located according to the directory he saw when he stepped inside.

The elevator shifted slightly, and then began to rise. It gave Shinryu the feeling that he was floating until it stopped at their floor.

Once the doors opened, he strode down the hall quickly, leaving Arthur behind as he went to room 18 and slid the key into the lock, turning the tumbler and opening the door. When he was inside, he closed the door and locked it.

"Night, come out." He said quietly as he released the Absol from her Ball.

"About time." She growled, staring at Shinryu. "I don't see why humans have to insist upon me being in a Pokéball."

Shinryu shrugged. "Don't ask me. It's not my decision." He set his bag down and fished out a towel, along with a change of clothes. "I'll be back as soon as I get done with my shower. Go recline on the bed if you want and relax." He opened the door to the bathroom and closed it behind him. _Should I lock the door? _He wondered to himself as he began to strip his clothes from his body as his real self emerged, his mind no longer maintaining the concentration to hide the changes. He examined himself in the mirror, and smiled slightly and causing his right canine to poke out deviously. _I like this look... I wonder what would happen if people saw this when I get really pissed? _He turned around and began messing with the nozzle and the knobs, bringing the water to a temperature he liked before he turned on the actual showerhead and stepped into it. He closed the curtains behind him and sighed with relief as the very hot water cascaded down his skin. He leaned back, his eyes closing as he relaxed. _Finally, a HOT shower. The shower on the ferry wasn't hot enough, and neither was the one at the PokéCenter... _He opened them a few minutes later and grabbed the soap off of the wall to begin cleaning his body of the dirt and grime that travel tends to accumulate.

Night was laying on the bed in her Anthro form, slightly covered by the blankets as she waited for her mate to come out of the bathroom. _Hmm... Did he lock the door? _She wondered as she stood up and carefully made her way to the door, turning it slightly. _No... _And evil grin spread across her face as she continued to slowly open the door. _He didn't... Perhaps he'd like me to wash his back?_ However, in her mind that wasn't her intention at all.

Shinryu heard a slight clicking noise, but ignored it as he was rubbing the shampoo into his hair vigorously. He scratched at his scalp, making sure that he would be clean. _Okay, I am definitely a clean freak when it comes to taking showers... _He thought as he went underneath the hot water and sighed while the suds of the shampoo flowed down his back because his head was down.

Shinryu never heard the shower curtain slide nor the soft squelching of wet furred feet as he remained in this position. When Night casually wrapped her arms around his waist, Shinryu nearly jumped out of his skin before his mind recognized her touch. _Should've locked the door... _He thought as he stared back at her over his shoulder. "Hey you." He said casually, no trace of embarrassment in his voice.

Night smiled at Shinryu as she pressed her cheek against his back, relishing the feel of his skin. "Hey." She purred as she began to nuzzle against him.

"I don't want to do anything tonight... I am still feeling a little tired from when you pounced me last night."

"Are you telling me you don't remember you flipping me around at all and having me your way?" She asked, tilting her head up to stare at Shinryu now that he was standing at his full height.

"Actually, no I don't." He admitted, looking slightly confused. "I didn't realize I did that."

"Well," Started Night, pulling away from him and standing there completely nude and soaking in more ways than one. "You did, and just the thought of it has quite the effect on me."

Shinryu's nose twitched slightly of its own accord as a scent entered his nostrils. It was a deep scent of honey and hazelnuts, with just a hint of strawberry. It had a profound effect on him, and he could feel himself growing hard. _Arousal... That's the scent I am smelling. _Thought Shinryu as he turned to Night, who was staring at him. "So, you being dominated gets you horny." He stated, inwardly smirking as her eyes darted down to his cock.

"Yes, but then again so does seeing you like this." Night purred, reaching out to sensually rub Shinryu's left arm.

Before she could react, Shinryu had pinned Night against the wall of the shower. "I said not tonight." He growled, his eyes becoming a deeper Crimson. _Aha... That's why I don't remember it. I was purely instinct driven. So long as I don't give into it fully, I should be aware of what I am doing._ He thought as he continued his growling at Night.

Night gasped and then moaned as she felt something brush against her nether region. "Well, your mind says no but your body definitely says yes." She growled back lightly.

_She has me there... _He thought as he released her and stepped away, turning around to turn the water off. "I said no, and that's final." _But now I understand something about her. She loves it when I am dominant. _He smirked as he pulled the curtain aside, stepping onto the bathroom floor and pulling his towel off of the rack he had hung it on to dry himself off. _And I know a bit about Absol mating habits because of Professor Elm, who has been studying the evolution of Pokémon for a while now. Absol females are always going to act dominant, but if a male is powerful enough they will submit to that male. _He turned to look at Night, who was still against the wall. Her eyes said that she wanted him, but they also said that they'd obey him.

_Plus, _Shinryu thought as he pulled on his secondary set of clothes, the clothes he was wearing on his journey through Hoenn **(A/N: Think of the Clothes a character would wear in Pokémon Emerald, and we're good.) **He opened the door, and pulled another towel from his bag to hand to Night. _I think I gained an Absol's instincts... _He grabbed his other clothes and walked out of the room, locking it as he left so no one would walk in on Night while he was gone. He strode down the hall and found the laundry room.

* * *

><p>A figure stood in a shrouded room, holding a phone to his ear. "Good work, Agent. Keep an eye on him."<p>

"_*Thank you master. I will give you my report on the Dragonsong when I finish it. His Dossier doesn't state his battle style, because apparently he is an adaptive fighter.*"_

"Then the rumors are true about him... What was his IQ score?"

"_*Very high sir. His IQ is around 170, possibly higher.*"_

"Then we have the perfect subject that my boss wants. Continue your mission Agent Onyx."

"_*Yes Master.*"_

The man hung up the phone, and his face was seen as lightning flashed through the sky outside of the window he was standing before. He was a handsome man, with dark tan skin and Hazel-blue eyes. His yellow hair was short and cropped into a military style. And then the light faded and he was cast into darkness once more.

* * *

><p>Once his laundry was finished two hours later, Shinryu returned to his room and laid down on the bed next to Night, wrapping his arms around her and falling straight to sleep.<em> I am so tired... Nap time. <em>Was his last thought.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

Hyato was deep in the cave now. When he landed he repacked the parachute and immediately dove into a deeper cavern, using Etheria's fire as a light. Etheria sat on Hyato's head, casting a light blue glow through the cave.

Hyato had already faced many cave Pokémon, and defeated them all, but he had yet to add any to his party. "I won't beat the Gym leader with just two Pokémon." Hyato muttered, "I need to find more."

As if in response to his chatter, another Pokémon appeared. "Shiftry!" Hyato exclaimed happily. "Go Etheria." Etheria hopped off of Hyato's shoulder to face the Pokémon. Shiftry seemed to laugh at Etheria's arrival.

"Quickly Etheria, use flamethrower!" Hyato ordered. Etheria let a massive pillar of flame out of its mouth, engulfing the Shiftry instantly. Hyato quickly tossed an ultra-ball to capture it.

In what seemed like an instant, the battle was over. Hyato captured Shiftry, adding a third Pokémon to his party. He sent out his new Pokémon and used full restore, making all of Shiftry's wounds fade.

"Henceforth you will be named Leifshadow." Hyato told Shiftry. Shiftry and Hyato exchanged a look for a long moment, then Shiftry nodded acknowledging Hyato as his leader. Hyato grinned, then sent out Noirignis, the fire poison Pokémon. "Leifshadow, this is Draxio," Hyato said, introducing the Pokémon, "and this is Etheria. We should all get along and become the best!" The other Pokémon all cried out in agreement, fired up by Hyato's enthusiasm.

Other Pokémon heard Hyato as well, and came to fight. There were many of them, rocks, grounds, and psychic Pokémon that Hyato did and didn't recognize. Hyato smirked, facing the horde. "Let's go team, were about to go into training overdrive!" Hyato and his Pokémon dove into the fray, ready to fight.

* * *

><p>Lydia spent the time after Hyato's jump challenging as many trainers as she could. Her Pokémon were defeating every opponent, but many people were still referring to her as 'the girl Hyato was with.'<p>

Lydia wasn't mad that Hyato was her friend, but she was angry that no one remembered her for who she was. It's true she never became famous in the world of Trainers, but she came close once. So Lydia decided she'd make a new name for herself in Trema, but then Hyato showed up. Lydia couldn't match Hyato's crazy antics, so wouldn't stand out as much.

Which is why Lydia went into battle overdrive; If she defeated enough trainers, they'd remember her for her battle superiority. Lydia had just finished taking down another two trainers in double-battle. 'I think that's enough training for now.' Lydia thought, 'I should challenge the Gym, beat it before Hyato has the chance!'

Lydia started walking, making her way slowly across the city, towards the Gym. Lydia walked with a great deal of confidence, pretending not to see the trainers dodging down other roads. Lydia was going over how she would handle the match. Ground type and maybe rock type Pokémon were her main opponent. She'd also need to watch out for dual-types. "He'll probably have a ground/water and a possibly a ground/fire to keep himself protected."

As Lydia was thinking up strategy she came to the battle square. A large district of town dedicated to Pokémon trainers, and also where the Gym was. Lydia started towards the Gym when the music played.

It was a fast paced dramatic sound, and lots of spotlights in the square shined in the middle of the area on a large stage suspended above the crowd. Silhouettes of people could be seen far above.

"In the days before cities and Gyms, there were Pokémon and people," the voice was projected throughout the square. "With the invention of society, wars and crime became more and more frequent."

"**But not anymore! **We of Team Chaos are here to return the world to the way it was, without cities and rules binding us down. In the name of Chaos, we claim this town… O**bliterated!"**

It happened immediately, all but one of the shadowy figures jumped off the stage, rolling around on wheeled shoes attacking people. They wore black clothing adorned with red and Emblazoned with a gold symbol for Team Chaos. They sent out Pokémon to increase the havoc, and people started to resist, but it was too fast.

More Team Chaos soldiers came out of the woodwork, further adding to the frenzy. Fire, water, and other Pokémon moves were flying everywhere, causing battles to overlap. Lydia sent out Miranda, Skydive, and Sabre to fight, but wasn't doing well.

A stray nightstick flew out of nowhere, smashing into Lydia's arm with a sickening crack. Lydia dropped to the ground in pain, bleeding profusely from her mangled limb. Lydia called out more orders through her hisses of pain, trying hard to stay in the fight.

The police arrived soon, but couldn't contain the chaos, and just got sucked into the increasing spiral of battle. A trainer that Lydia had defeated earlier appeared next to her, he was saying something but Lydia's ears had gone fuzzy. The trainer said something to his Butterfree, and Lydia's arm felt better.

"Did, it work?" The trainer asked.

"What?" Lydia responded groggily.

"I had Butterfree use moonlight on you, Butterfree Stun Spore!" The trainer's Butterfree stunned an approaching Team Chaos member.

"Go, I'm fine" Lydia insisted. The trainer didn't need more input, he ran off to fight more of Team Chaos.

Lydia looked around. For a moment she seemed out of it, all around people and Pokémon were being thrashed and beaten. It was worse than anything she'd ever seen before. She'd heard of other organizations using Pokémon for twisted ends, but this was outright terrorism. Trainers and Pokémon were being beaten; the ground was coated in injured people, Pokémon, and blood. The violence was almost unreal.

Lydia didn't space out for too long, Police forces were trying to evacuate people beyond a perimeter, so they could deal with Team Chaos themselves.

Lydia backed up behind the safety line, when a loud explosion caused everyone to flinch. Lydia snapped around, to see huge geysers of fire erupting from the ground in many places. Team Chaos seemed to know this would happen, all of them avoiding the flames easily.

Lydia's sight seemed to fade, loss of blood finally causing her to fall.

* * *

><p>Hyato made his way through the caves, smiling to himself. He had scratches and bruises all over, but he smiled despite the pain. "Now, I'm ready." He said to himself. "Five Pokémon is more than enough to defeat the Gym leader."<p>

Hyato easily made his way through the cave, using the brighter light of Etheria's evolved form to light his way. Hyato looked at his Pokédex again, enjoying the text of his stronger Pokémon. _[Emerdjinn: Fire/Water evolution of Djinnit. Emerdjinn is an entity of power that lives in deep underground springs, or with Djinnit in hot springs. It is said that one Emerdjinn can start or stop forest fires with ease] _Emerdjinn stood about 4 four feet tall, with a muscular blue body coated in deep purple flame. Etheria's eyes were still as happy as before.

Hyato and Etheria made their way through the cave, now that Etheria was too big to ride on Hyato's head. When Hyato heard some voices up ahead, he silenced Etheria and crept forward, sticking his head around a corner tentatively.

"The Fire trap is working" One voice said.

"We just need to keep this up and the boss will be able to accomplish the plan." Came another. Hyato leaned further in an attempt to see the conspirators. There were two of them, dressed in the black suits and visors of Team Chaos. Hyato didn't know who they were, but he noticed the machine they were operating.

"Right, and then we'll get some new Pokémon from the haul." The first said.

'Pokémon thieves?' Hyato thought, 'Not on my watch!' Hyato moved forward, getting closer to the Thieves.

"Who's there?" The second grunt asked, looking in Hyato's direction. Hyato was behind a rock, but decided there was no point in hiding. He walked out from behind the stone, holding a great ball in his hands.

"Let's see how you like this, Draxio!" Hyato immediately sent out the newly evolved Draxio. It floated in the air, its skull body now a head for an upper torso made of the same deep purple that the Noirignis were. Its arms now descended past its pointed lower body. _[Noirignia: Fire/Poison evolution of Noirignis. It's deadly miasma is poisonous and highly flammable, causing this super-toxin Pokémon to be superior in combat. They are known for their fierce and unrelenting nature.]_ Draxio held its arms forward, flaring its horns in anticipation.

One of the Team Chaos grunts spoke. "Don't you know who we are, we're Team Cha-"

"I don't care, I'm going to destroy that machine and beat you down!" Hyato said.

"Whatever! Go Pokémon!" The two Team Chaos people each sent out three Pokémon. There was a Nightail, a Ninetails, a Crobat, and three Gigaliths.

"Draxio use Heat Wave, Etheria get in front and use Surf!" Draxio sent a powerful wave of heat at all of the enemy Pokémon, then Hyato quickly recalled him. Etheria moved forth and sent a powerful rushing tide of water, fainting all 6 Pokémon and knocking out the Trainers, taking the machine out of order in the process.

Hyato picked up the trainers Pokéballs and recalled their Pokémon, then grabbed the Team Chaos guys and threw them over his shoulder. "There should be a way up to the surface if these guys were here." Etheria sounded in agreement, and they looked for the way up.

They managed to find a secret door that led to a back alley. As soon as he opened it he could hear the sounds of Police sirens and angry people and Pokémon. Something big was going on, but he wasn't there to see. Hyato limped out of the alley, holding one Team Chaos member over his shoulder, and dragging the other behind him. Hyato walked out into the street, suddenly in the middle of a Police blockade.

A few guns were pointed at him, but they were quickly diverted as a sheriff drew him away. "These guys were doing something underground through a door back there." Hyato explained immediately. "Here are their Pokémon" Hyato set the unconscious Grunts down and turned over the Pokémon."

"You've done a good thing." The sheriff said, "We've got things nearly under control here, some of Team Chaos escaped, but the rioting is over with."

"Great," Hyato said happily, not knowing what the sheriff was talking about at all.

When Lydia came to, she was sitting in a chair outside. She heard Hyato talking to a police officer, from their conversation she gathered that the ruckus was over. With a sigh of relief she allowed herself to drift back into sleep.

Hyato noticed Lydia and arranged for a ride back to the Motel. It was a long day, and finally time to put it behind them. As Hyato climbed into the Motel's bed, he let his mind wander, wondering what would happen next. Then he let his aches turn to drowsiness as he drifted into sleep.

* * *

><p>When Hyato awoke he found himself thinking. He lay in bed and seriously thought about the past week. He'd completed the Kanto league and made his way here. The Trema league was far more challenging than he'd expected. In all the other leagues he rushed through with great haste, not dealing with people who slowed him down. Hyato was genuinely surprised at the amount of time he spent not advancing forth. He'd never really had time to experience adventure when he was on a league challenge. He spent years adventuring when not running challenges, but he never got a sense of adventure from the leagues.<p>

Hyato decided that he enjoyed taking it slow, but there was something missing. Something deep-seated that drove him forth was no longer around. Hyato didn't know what it was, but it left him with an uneasy feeling, like he wasn't himself at all.

Hyato lay there pondering for a great deal of time, unable to figure out what he lacked. Eventually Hyato conceded that he wouldn't know by just lying there, so he got up to start the day. A few minutes later, when he had showered and cleaned, he headed for the door. That's when he noticed something. Lydia wasn't in.

"Where could she have gone so early?" Hyato wondered aloud, but his wondering didn't last long.

"Good morning!" Lydia said happily as she entered the door. She was holding two large bags that smelled of delicious food. "I thought you'd be hungry, I mean you spent yesterday eating rations in a cave."

"That smells awesome!" Hyato said, immediately taking a bag and going to the table. Lydia came over and sat down as well.

Hyato dug into his food without pause, eating like a starving man. Lydia seemed amused as she ate her food. They didn't have time to speak during their meal, as they were preoccupied with eating.

Hyato finished his food quickly. "Thanks again Lydia," he said.

"No problem." Lydia said finishing off her slightly smaller meal.

"Now there's only one thing to do!" Hyato said, leaping to his feet. "Defeat the Tectra City Gym Leader!"

Lydia smiled then said, "yeah… but not before I do!"

"Huh?" Hyato said, looking down at the confident Lydia.

"I'll take the Gym leader on before you have a chance!" Lydia boasted.

"Sounds like a challenge to me!" Hyato said, a fiery passion returning to his eyes.

"Then let's go!" Lydia said.

Lydia and Hyato made their way to the Gym, it seemed to take no time at all to get there. They stood in front of the door within minutes.

Hyato tried the door, it didn't open yet again. "Arrgh! There's not even a clue!" He complained. He tried pushing it, pulling it. Even kicking it. Nothing seemed to work.

Lydia looked at the door carefully, then said, "Try sliding it." Hyato tried, and found the door opened.

"How did you know that?" Hyato asked.

"I didn't, I just wanted to see if it'd work." Lydia responded.

They went inside the Gym, to see a set of stairs leading down. The stairs led to a wide and tall room filled with an intricate set of mountainous terrain. They were on a balcony overlooking the room, two sets of stairs to the left and right actually going down into the labyrinth.

A small man with a big beard sat on a chair nearby. "You're here for the Gym challenge then?" He asked.

"We'd like to compete against the clock to see who gets to fight the Gym leader first." Hyato explained. Lydia nodded.

"That's a great idea," The man said with energy. "I'm Damian, the Gym leader. Let's get this contest underway. First to reach the battle area in the center wins. Each of you go down a different staircase, that'll lead you on different paths to the Gym."

Hyato and Lydia looked at each other. "Best of luck!" Lydia said holding out her hand.

Hyato clapped the hand, "You too," he said with a fire in his eye. They both turned around and headed down the separate staircase, Hyato to the right and Lydia to the left.

Hyato was ready for anything, except a loudspeaker. "BEGIN!" said the Gym leader's voice over the loudspeaker. Hyato jumped in fright, and then moved forward. "I'm already behind!" Hyato complained to himself.

Hyato and Lydia could no longer see each other. Hyato came upon the first challenge. It was easy enough, climb up a wall and down the other side, Hyato managed with ease. The second challenge proved more difficult.

Before Hyato were a series of platforms. They were not connected to each other, and they were shaking back and forth constantly. "Like mini Earthquakes." Hyato said.

Hyato hopped onto the first platform. It wasn't easy, but he managed to maintain balance. "Only six more…" Hyato carefully jumped to the next one, nearly falling, but catching his balance at the last minute. Hyato moved to the third and fourth without difficulty.

Hyato braced himself and jumped, but hit something and nearly fell of the fifth platform. Hyato was hanging on the side of the moving platform with just his hands. The weight of his body pulled at his hands, causing a great deal of pain. Hyato tried to pull himself up, but it was no use. If he fell he'd have to return to the beginning, which would be very bad.

Hyato got an idea, so started swinging himself back and forth, building up momentum to launch himself. When he had gathered enough momentum, Hyato let go. The jump he made landed him on the final platform. From there it was easy to move onto solid ground and on to the next challenge.

The third challenge laid before him, Hyato a came to a large flat stone circle. Hyato looked around but didn't see any changes. "I guess I just go..." Hyato said, stepping forward cautiously.

All of a sudden the lighting became harsh, and a White cloaked figure appeared. His hood and the harsh lighting hid his face. "It is time, Hyato, for you to reawaken." The man in the white cloak opened his hand, and Hyato's vision blurred.

Hyato closed and opened his eyes. He was no longer in the Gym.

He was no longer in Trema.

Hyato stood on an island.

It was night on the island, but then, Hyato had a feeling it was always night here. There weren't many plants; deprivation of sunlight was very bad. Hyato looked ahead; the island was made up of a mountain with a forest at its base. The eerie blackness of the forest entrance called Hyato forward.

Hyato moved forward, drawn by the feeling. Hyato decided that it didn't matter that the forest called him, he'd have gone anyway. "I just need out of here so I can fight Damian!" Hyato said as he entered the forest.

The darkness of the forest was more sudden than Hyato thought it would be. The dead trees and hollow whispers of the wind were unsettling. "This place would give me Nightmares…" Hyato said.

Hyato continued along the dirt path. There was a stale puddle of water every now and again. Hyato avoided stepping in them, looks could be deceiving. Hyato saw ahead that there was another puddle to be wary of. It wasn't just any puddle; it was a clear pond that reflected the moon above.

Hyato looked up when he got to the clearing. The moon above was full, but the reflection in the pond was an empty moon. Hyato suddenly realized where he was.

"New Moon Island," Hyato said, as a dark figure rose from the shadow of the moon's reflection. The Pokémon before him was the stuff of nightmares. It's black cloak was darker than night, and its spikey red collar clearly showed the unsettling blue glow of its eye underneath its trailing white hood.

"You have come, Chronicler Hyato," Darkrai said. Darkrai's voice was deeper than midnight and scarier than nightmares.

"Why am I here?" Hyato asked, outwardly confident, but inwardly terrified.

"It is high time you reawaken, Chronicler." Darkrai said.

"That's what the other man said, the one in the white cloak." Hyato said, thinking back to before he was taken here.

"Roy has taken the necessary steps to awaken the dormant ones. When all 6 have gathered again, we will be able to act." Darkrai said, "Come with me, Chronicler."

"What does that mean?" Hyato asked, "Why do you keep calling me Chronicler?" Hyato had tried to turn and leave, but his legs were too terrified to leave the spot.

Darkrai moved forward, out of the shadow of the moon. "You are one of the six chroniclers, long ago you helped to realize the ambitions of Arceus, and your presence is needed again."

"I worked for Arceus? What are you saying?" Hyato had never felt fear like now, in fact he didn't know if he had ever felt fear before.

"Come with me, and you will be made to understand." Darkrai said.

"NO!" Hyato said, resisting. "I don't believe you!" Hyato brought up his fist and smashed it into his thigh. The pain allowed him to wrench free of the fear, and he turned to run from the forest.

"**Wait!**" Called Darkrai, but Hyato had no intention of turning back. Hyato ran from the woods, but instead of coming out to the island, he found himself on the mountain. Hyato started climbing furiously, putting all his effort into getting away.

Hyato glanced behind him, and saw a giant version of Darkrai moving through the trees, searching for him. Hyato focused on climbing completely. If he could reach the top he'd be able to wake up, somehow he knew this.

Hyato came to a flat part of the mountain. The area was sparse, with three dead trees, but no way to continue up the mountain. Then something appeared, something obscured Hyato's vision. Hyato could see some bright area with his right eye, and the darkness of the island with his left. Hyato tried closing his left to see detail with his right eye, but it didn't work.

Then a huge shadow appeared over the world. Hyato turned around to see the form of Darkrai, massive in its darkness above him. **"You must wait!" **boomed Darkrai's voice. It emanated a great power.

Hyato stood defiantly. "You will NEVER take me!" Hyato roared.

"**That was never my intention! I merely plan to reawaken you, Chronicler.**" Darkrai shrank to normal size, hovering in front of Hyato. "**Take my hand.**"

Hyato narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe you." He maintained, unmoving from his spot.

Darkrai did not attack as Hyato expected it too.

Hyato noticed something in his right eye; something was trying to get his attention. Hyato tried again to focus, to no avail. Hyato sighed, "Let me leave, I need to face the Tectra City Gym leader."

"You must first awaken." Darkrai said.

"I'll awaken or whatever later! Just get me out of here!" Hyato demanded.

"I cannot do that." Darkrai said.

Hyato turned to the rim of the landing. "Then I'll just have to wake myself up." Hyato stepped to the edge, and held out his arms.

"Stop!" Darkrai ordered, attempting to pull Hyato into a Dark Void.

"NO!" Hyato jumped. He felt the freedom of falling for a moment, but then he felt something pulling him back. Something grabbed him and pulled him back. Hyato thrashed, but was unable to break free of the invisible grasp.

Then he felt a sharp pain on his cheek. Lydia stood before him, a mixture of anger and worry on her face. "What are you doing!" She demanded.

Hyato looked around. He stood on the battle area of the Tectra City Gym. Gym leader Damian and one other were there, as well as Lydia and her Venasaur. Hyato had the feeling he just been saved from jumping off a cliff.

"Hyato, what are you doing!" Lydia asked again.

"I, I fell asleep." Hyato said.

"When I got up here and saw you here, I was a bit disappointed that you beat me, but then you go and try to jump off a cliff?" Lydia withdrew Venasaur, causing Hyato to fall to the ground. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you."

"I didn't do it on purpose Lydia! I was asleep." Hyato said, "Please forgive me."

Lydia turned away, tapping her foot anxiously. After a minute she said, "Fine." She turned around and helped Hyato up. "Just don't do it again."

"Don't worry. I won't." Hyato promised.

"Well, now that things are all settled," Boomed the Gym leader, "Why don't we get on with the battles?"

"Allow me to introduce Kohl, my substitute." Leader Damian said, indicating the young man on his left. "He will be fighting Lydia as I battle Hyato. He uses the same Pokémon I do, so don't think he'll be any easier for ya."

"Are the both of you ready to fight?" Kohl asked, wearing a pleasant smile on his face… too pleasant.

"Yes!" Hyato and Lydia said together.

"Then why don't we get things under way." Damian said, "If you would." Damian nodded at a man in a raised chair that Hyato hadn't noticed before.

The announcer spoke, "Challengers, to your places!"

Hyato and Damian moved into white boxed off areas on one half of the battle area. Kohl and Lydia mirrored them. "There are special rules for the match!" The announcer said, "First off, only 4 Pokémon are allowed, in order to constrain battle time. Second off, the battle will be scored. Each successful hit counts as one point, and a fainted Pokémon is worth 5 points to the trainer who caused it to faint. First to 30 points wins, or whoever has more points when one contestant has no remaining Pokémon.

"Interesting, so you can win even if you run out of Pokémon, as long as you have more points." Lydia pointed out.

"Awesome!" Hyato said, "That gives me the advantage!"

Damian laughed, "Don't count yourself a winner yet. You still have to defeat me."

"Are the contestants ready?" The announcer boomed.

"Yes" answered all four in unison.

"Then let the battle BEGIN!"

Hyato, Damian, Lydia, and Kohl all moved to send out their Pokémon. In four red beams of light, the Pokémon emerged. Hyato sent out his Shiftry, Leifshadow. Damian sent out a Nidoking. It stood on guard, seeming to gain power from Shiftry. 'Damn, it has Rivalry!' Hyato thought.

Hyato moved first, "Leifshadow, use Leaf Tornado!" Shiftry raised its arms, bringing its fan-like arms down hard. A whirl of sharp leaves came and struck the Nidoking hard, but it had little effect.

"Challenger Hyato has gained one point!" The announcer said. "Challenger Lydia has gained two points."

Damian moved to respond. "Let's show them how to do this, Nidoking, use Fury attack!" Nidoking lowered its head and smashed into Shiftry, then punched, then kicked, and finally struck Shiftry with its tail. It hit four times…

"Damian has gained four points. Kohl has gained five points; this match is beginning to heat up!"

"I see, so that's his trick." Hyato said, catching on. "Leifshadow, use Bullet Seed!" Leifshadow took a breath, then spit out a trail of powerful seeds, he repeated this twice more, making the hit strike three times.

They were even, 4-4. "Challenger Lydia has gained four points."

Hyato glanced over at Lydia, she was fighting a Nidoking with her Venasaur.

"Pay attention!" Damian said, "Nidoking, use Double Kick!" Nidoking kicked Shiftry hard, and then launched another powerful kick. Leifshadow fell back, defeated.

"Seven points for Damian!" the score was 11-4 in Damian's favor.

Hyato gritted his teeth, "Go Etheria!" Hyato sent out the Emerdjinn into the fray. "Let's show them what we've got! Etheria, use Scald!" Etheria shot out a powerful force of boiling water at Nidoking. The Nidoking took the super-effective hit in a critical spot, and fainted.

"Six points for Hyato, the score is 11 to 10 in Damian's favor." The announcer said.

Hyato looked at Damian fiercely, ignoring the announcer's commentary and focusing on the battle. Damian sent out a Pokémon that Hyato didn't recognize. It was a mean looking red crab Pokémon. Hyato quickly checked it with his Pokédex. _[Kyrangor: Water/Ground. Kyrangor is the evolution of Kingler. It has developed massive muscles to use its powerful __Pincer arm with ease. It is known to crush submarines that encroach too close to its underwater nests.]_

Hyato gulped. "Kyrangor! Use Crabhammer!" The Crab moved sideways at impressive velocities moving quickly toward Etheria. It smashed its massive claw into Etheria. Etheria was thrown far, hit with such destructive force critically.

But Etheria managed to stay in the fight. "Let's show them our trick! Energy Ball!" Hyato said. Etheria was weak, but threw out a ball of green energy hard.

Kyrangor hissed and clicked as it got hit, but it survived. "Now, use Guillotine!" Kyrangor grabbed Etheria and crushed hard, nearly killing Etheria. Hyato recalled Etheria quickly.

'The score is 18-11.' Hyato thought. "I can do this! Go Draxio!" Hyato sent out the Noirignia, in all its power.

"Poor choice lad." Damian said, "Fire/Poison stands no chance to Water/Ground."

"But I know that Kyrangor is extremely heavy." Hyato said. "Draxio, use Grass Knot!" Draxio caused clumps of grass to wrap and trip Kyrangor smashing it with punishing force into the ground. The Kyrangor fainted.

"Hyato has earned another 6 points; the scores are 18-17 Damian's favor, and 23-19 Lydia's favor." The announcer said.

Hyato ignored that Lydia was doing better, he had a plan.

Damian sent a Pokéball flying into the air. "Go Graniton," He said; another new Pokémon. _[Graniton: Ground type. Graniton is one of the elemental's of Trema. Like the other elemental's, it is fierce in one area of disciple. Its impenetrable defense makes it almost an unmovable object.] _It vaguely looked like a person, though it had large hands that resembled shields. A rush of sand kicked up around the battleground, silencing the combatants.

"Graniton, use dynamic punch!" Graniton moved in to use a dizzyingly powerful punch, but Draxio avoided the attack.

"Draxio, use doubleslap!" Draxio smacked the Graniton twice, causing minimal damage.

"That'll get you nowhere! Graniton's defense is the highest that can be!" Damian said. The sandstorm cut into Draxio roughly. The score was 19-18 in Hyato's favor.

"Graniton, use Magnitude!" Graniton leapt straight up, then crashed down into the ground, causing a Magnitude 7 attack. The force of the attack hit Draxio hard. Then the sandstorm cut into him, bringing him dangerously low.

"We're even at 19," Hyato said, "But victory is mine! Draxio, use Mega Overheat!" Draxio started glowing with a bright red flame. The internal flame plowed out, covering both Pokémon and the field in a burning firestorm of heat and flames. When the flames subsided both Graniton and Draxio had fainted.

"WHAT is that Move?" Damian asked, shocked.

"It's a fire type move similar to explosion," Hyato said cheerfully, "Since Draxio was low in health, it's Flash Fire ability powered it up. And that mean's I hit you with an attack, worth one point, and caused two Pokémon to faint. I have Thirty points, I win."

Damian stood shocked for a moment, and then started laughing. "Well done, that's the best I've seen in many years. You really are an Ace Trainer." Damian walked over to Hyato. "Here, you definitely earned this, the first person to beat my Gym." Damian handed Hyato something.

Hyato held the Fissure Badge high into the air, looking it over. It was a brilliant image of a crack tearing through a brown background, for the earth. Hyato tossed it up, then caught it.

Hyato put the badge away and turned to see the end of Lydia's battle. Lydia had her Kabutops use Aquajet, taking down the Golem she fought and earning the last of the points she needed. Lydia withdrew Sabre, then headed to where Hyato and Damian were. "I won, though I'm kind of sad I didn't get to face the actual Gym Leader." She said.

Damian handed her the Fissure Badge, "Don't worry lass, you'll have your chance when you come back for the Seal."

"Huh?" Lydia said.

"What's the Seal?" asked Hyato.

"Oh, you must've skipped the orientation… then again that was today so I don't see how you would've been there for it." Damian said, "Anyway, you aren't collecting only Badges in the Trema league. When you have six Badges you can come back to challenge me for the Fissure Seal. When you've collected all the Badges and Seals, then you challenge each Leader for the Crests."

"So you really get to face each Gym three times, isn't that fun!" Damian let out a loud, hearty laugh. "Take care of yourself Hyato. I look forward to fighting you again, I got a couple of ideas about recoil moves from you."

"I look forward to it!" Hyato said.

* * *

><p>Hyato and Lydia made their way out of town. It had been a tough battle, but the road ahead was going to be long. "Where to now?" Hyato asked as he untied and retied his shoes.<p>

"We need to head down this road." Lydia said, "This will take us to Gateway City so we can fight Cyndea, the fire-type Leader."

Hyato stood up and looked down the road. "Well, we have all day, why don't we get started." Hyato said. He started to walk forward, but found Lydia's hand holding him back. "What is it?" Hyato asked, turning to Lydia.

Lydia was looking at her feet. All Hyato could do was look at the top of her short green hair. Then suddenly Lydia brought her face up and locked lips with Hyato.

It was a brief moment, but Hyato felt like it lasted forever, and too short. Lydia walked down the road a bit, leaving Hyato standing there dumbstruck.

"Umm, Lydia," Hyato began.

Lydia turned around, "Well hurry up dummy," she teased, "We'll never get to Gateway if you don't come along."

Hyato smiled, deciding to ask her about it later, and followed.

And so they continued, with new ideas of the challenges ahead…

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Scene Change!)<strong>_

_*Riiing... Riiing... Riiing* _Rang the Pokégear on the nightstand, waking Shinryu up from his sleep.

_Grrr... _He thought as he picked the device and answered it. "Hello?" He asked, slightly tired. The morning light filtered through the windows, and he just wanted to sleep in for once.

"_*Richard, this is your mother. Why didn't you tell me you were in Trema?*"_

_Shit... _Shinryu thought, sitting upright. "Uhh... Hi Mom, how are you?" He asked hestitanly, sliding off of the bed and standing up.

"_*Just fine. However, where in Trema are you? I'd like to have a quality Breakfast with my Son.*"_

_Fuck... I can't say no, she'd flip a bitch. _"I am currently in Gateway, and I was going to challenge the Gym in a few hours."

"_*No no no. Breakfast first, and I am on my way. I will be at the River Gate Restraunt at 10AM. You'd better not be late.*"_

"Oh alright... I'll be there." He hung up the phone part of the Pokégear and checked the time. _I've got thirty minutes... _He thought, sighing to himself as he stared over at Night, who was still asleep. _She looks cute like that... Too bad I have to wake her. _He thought as he sat down on the bed next to the sleeping Absol. "Time to get up." He said softly, leaning down to kiss her gently.

Night's eyes opened slowly as she moaned.

Shinryu quickly pulled away before Night managed to get her arms around his neck. "Uh-uh." He smiled at her. "I have something to do soon. I just wanted to wake you up." He stood up and walked over to where his clean laundry was and began to get changed in front of Night.

Night growled. "That's not fair... You're doing that on purpose." She said, glaring at Shinryu.

Shinryu chuckled. He pulled on his vest and styled his hair through the cap. "Yes, I am." He said, pulling on his gloves. "However, today is a 'You can look, but you cannot touch' day until tonight."

"Grrr... I will get you back for that." Night turned away from Shinryu.

"I know you will try, but can you?" Shinryu asked, smiling at his mate playfully.

Night rolled onto her stomach and stared at Shinryu, raising her legs in a sexy pose as she settled her chin in her hands. "Oh I will." She said confidantly, smiling at him.

Shinryu rolled his eyes, but mentally: _Damn... I want to pounce. _He thought as he picked up his bag. "Resume your Pokémon form. Its time to go."

Night sighed, and her form melded back to 'normal'. "There."

Shinryu pointed her Pokéball at her, and Night was returned to the capsule device. "I'll let you out later, during the Gym Battle." He said, shrinking the Yin-Yang patterned Pokéball and clipping it onto his belt. He grabbed his bag, the rest of his stuff, and left the room.

* * *

><p>Shinryu walked down the hallway towards the elevator, and pressed the button to bring it up. <em>Thank you for the fact Arthur is a heavy sleeper... Or he's just doing something somewhere else. <em>He thought as the elevator opened and he stepped inside. He pushed the ground floor button, and smiled to himself. _I don't think I want him to see me at Breakfast with mom... _He thought as the doors closed all of the way, and the elevator began sliding down. _That would be torture for him._

It didn't take long, and the doors opened. Shinryu walked to the desk and returned the keys to the Hotel Manager, a different man than the one he rented them from.

Once he got that dealt with, Shinryu walked out of the Hotel and almost stopped in his tracks. _What the fuck? _He thought, seeing the building across from the Hotel.

The building was large, and styled in a Byzantine manner. The name of it was the River Gate.

Shinryu blinked rapidly. _What the hell? I was near this the entire time? _He thought as he checked his Pokégear. _Almost 10... I'd better go in. _He thought as he walked across the street and opened the door.

"Richard! You got here just in time." Exclaimed a woman wearing a deep purple dress. She walked past the waitor who wanted to seat him, and hugged him deeply.

"Hi mom." Shinryu said, hugging his mother back. "I was apparently at the Hotel across the way without realizing it."

"Oh my, well come on. I've already got our table set up, and your Father is here." Alice said as she let Shinryu go and walked back where she came from, the waitor looking disappointed.

Shinryu's eyes widened. _Father is here? _He thought as he followed his mother to their table out of the normal view. He smiled as he saw the famous Assimir Maxwell, a genius of the Triam R&D department. "Father!" He said happily, as Assimir stood up and gave Shinryu a big hug.

"Richard. How do you like Trema so far?" Assimir asked, pulling back to let Shinryu take a seat.

"Hmm..." Shinryu put his hand on his chin, thinking. "I like it so far, the battles are challenging. Against the Gym Leader Alberon anyway. Some of these Trainers I've fought couldn't do much against me. But then again, they haven't gotten past the Gate Mechanism."

Assimir chuckled as Alice sat next to him. "Well, the Gate was meant for a reason. The Pokémon out there are really not to be trifled with unless you are prepared." He smiled at his son. "You know, we haven't talked much since you began your journey."

Shinryu laughed. "Yeah, I noticed. Probably because you haven't figured out how a Cell Phone app works."

"Hey!" Assimir had a playful look on his face. "... You're right."

Shinryu smiled at his father, and leaned back into his seat. _Okay, if Father is here I will relax. He can actually keep mom's outbursts in check. _"So, when did you find out I was here mom?"

Alice looked at Shinryu. "Oh, Professor Alpine told me. And I still don't understand why you go around calling yourself Shinryu."

Shinryu's eyes hardenened almost instantly as he glared at his mother. The mood quickly turned dour, and Alice actually looked afraid. "You don't understand, Mother. But Dad does, he knows that Seth gave me that nickname a long time ago." He moved to stand up, but at that moment a girl pushed him back in his seat, and sat down next to him. His eyes widened as he recognized her, and he wanted to scream. _No!_

"Good morning Alice, Assimir." Said the elegant blonde in a low-backed dress of blue silk. "You remember me don't you Richard?"

_Fuck... Fuck... Fuck... Fuck... FUCK! _Shinryu thought, taking a sip of the water at the table. _This is bad... _"Hello... Rose." He said carefully. "How are you doing?"

"Rose darling, how are you?" Asked Alice, completely forgetting the dour mood that Shinryu had just a while ago.

"Oh, doing fine. I just faced off against Cyndea yesterday and got her Inferno Badge. I now have two now, so I am going to be going through the gate once I get the Fissure Badge and the Tornado Badge."

Shinryu nearly choked on his drink as he heard this. "What? I've only been here for two days, how are you ahead of me?"

"Unlike you," Rose started sweetly. "I don't take my time. I was invited here by your Mother, otherwise I'd be in Tectra already. I didn't even know you were here."

Shinryu sighed. "Well..." His phone rang at that moment, so he picked it up. "Hello?"

"_*Shinryu, this is Alpine. Would you come meet me at the PokéCenter in Gateway sometime soon?*"_

_Thank you! _Shinryu said silently to Alpine within his mind. "Yes, I can." _I don't even care to know how she knew I was here... Probably mom._ "I'll be there soon." He hung up the Phone. "Well, now I have to go. Sorry I couldn't eat with you guys." He said, pushing Rose to get up.

"What? You just got here." Rose said indignantly.

"Well, I have an appointment with Alpine that I forgot." Shinryu said as he stood up. "Good day to you all." He walked out of the Restraunt, and hurried to the PokéCenter.

The doors slid open, and Shinryu saw Alpine. "There you are. You left Auburn City before I could let you choose your Starter." She said, holding out a tray with six Pokéballs. "Yes, there are Six. One fire, grass, water as always. The others are Ground, Psychic, and Dark respectively."

Shinryu nodded. "I'll take the Dark."

Alpine smiled. "How did I know this?" She asked rhetorically as she handed him a Pokéball. "Well, get going. Cyndea should be ready for Challengers now."

Shinryu nodded, and rushed out of the Pokémon Center and ran to the Gym. _I've never been so thankful to you in my life! _He thought as he came to the Open-Doored Gym. _Hmm... No puzzle? _He wondered as he walked inside. "Hello?"

The Gym was dark, and then a massive pillar of Flame rushed upwards in the center of the room.

"Welcome Challenger!" Shouted a female voice, burning and powerful but also light. "I am Cyndea, and your Challenge has already been accepted when you entered this Gym."

The Door slammed shut behind Shinryu, and gouts of flame rushed along the grooves of it to keep him from opening it.

"Win or lose, that's the only way to leave." The rest of the room lit up with burning torches, lighting the gymnasium that Shinryu was standing on.

Before him, on the other side, was a woman with fiery red clothes that covered only the most important parts of her body. Her ash-grey hair cascaded down her back as she stared at Shinryu with bright red eyes.

"The rules of this battle:" Started the referee. "The Challenger must use Three Pokémon to take out one of the Gym Leader's Pokémon. However, should one of the Challenger's Pokémon faint, the battle is lost. This is a test of strategy!"

_Hmm... This might be hard._

"Lets begin. Come on out Trufyre!" Shouted Cyndea. A burst of red light filled the room as a being of flame erupted into life. It appeared to look like the form of a winged humanoid, but wreathed completely in flame. It glowed brightly, and a powerful artificial Sun floated in the air of the Gym as its Drought Ability activated.

***Ping* {Pokédex entry: Trufyre. Type: Fire, Trufyre is the elemental Fire spirit. Like the other elemental spirits it commands great power over its element. These Pokémon were found around temples in mountainous regions. They are quite calm despite their fiery nature.}**

_Interesting... It has Drought. _Thought Shinryu as he put away his Pokédex. _Now I see the Strategic Part of this. _He thought, his mind racing as he grabbed three Pokéballs from his belt. A black-and-blue Pokéball with red slashes and purple spirals on the top, a Blue Pokéball with a red wing-like pattern and white stripe on the bottom, and Night's Yin-Yang one. "Phera, Kaira, Night!" He shouted, sending them all out at once.

"Good, you understand the test." Cyndea smiled. "Now, lets see if you can beat it! Trufyre, Heat Wave!"

_Ha! Kaira and Phera would handle that easily, and I know Night could- _His thought track stopped as he saw the Trufyre gather a tremendous amount of energy in a short amount of time, and sent out the Heat Wave. _Shit! _"Phera, Kaira! Protect Night!"

Kaira and Phera flew in front of Night, and blocked the majority of the burning energy from hitting Night.

_This is bad... That was TOO much power. _He thought as his mind raced to find a solution.

"Good job. Your Absol probably would've fainted from that hit alone." Cyndea smiled as she stared over at Shinryu with a victorious smile. "Go ahead, your turn."

_She thinks she's won already... _Shinryu thought as he ran over scenarios. "This will be fun! Kaira, charge a Hyper Beam. Phera, use Earthquake! Night, Quick Attack!"

Night darted quickly around the two Dragon's and rushed towards the Trufyre.

Kaira opened her mouth as a swirl of multi-colored energy began to gather into her maw.

Phera stomped the ground hard, causing massive cracks with golden energy to span out from where her paw hit the ground.

_Its a risk, but these attacks CAN do it! _Shinryu thought as he watched the Pokémon begin their attacks.

"Trufyre, Detect." Cyndea said calmly.

The Elemental grabbed Night easily and threw her towards Kaira, stopping her Hyper Beam in mid-charge and jumped as massive spikes of earth sprouted from the cracks as the ground began to shake. It landed on one of the spikes and stood there awaiting the orders of its Trainer.

Night wasn't hit by the spikes because Kaira ended her attack and caught Night by her horn before she hit the ground, and pulled her higher up to prevent her from being hurt by the attack.

_Good girl. _Thought Shinryu.

"Now, my turn." Cyndea giggled, her laugh causing Shinryu to sweatdrop. "Trufyre, hit that Absol with Eruption."

… _FUCK! That's at Full Power because I haven't hit it one time! _Shinryu thought as the Elemental crossed its arms in front of it, and a powerful blast of Fire burst forth from the creature and went straight for Night and Kaira. _I can't stop it... _

The attack struck, knocking Kaira from the air as she was engulfed in the massive flames.

Shinryu watched with bated breath as the flames died away. Kaira was fine, merely severly burned as she floated back into place.

But Night... Night had fainted, her fur blackened with soot.

"Winner, Cyndea!" Proclaimed the Referee. "The test has failed, the Challenger has lost the Challenge."

_So this is why Rose was so snobby about winning against Cyndea... _Shinryu thought. _I have another loss... Two total. _"Good battle. How much do I owe you?" Shinryu asked, pulling out his Trainer Card after recalling all of his Pokémon.

"I think a good 10000 should do. Your team was pretty well set up and powerful from the looks of it."

_And there's the drawback to having more Pokémon on my team... _Shinryu thought as he slid his card through the transfer device near his pedastal.

As soon as the card was swiped, Shinryu heard the door click and hiss as the fire stopped and then opened. He turned and then stopped. "I'll be back later." He said, before running out the Gym and back to the PokéCenter.

* * *

><p><strong>Well? How was this Chapter? Please Read and Review! They actually make us want to write MORE! Its true! The more reviews we see, the more inspired we get! ~Du Mar and Veloran-Darkfyre<strong>

**EDIT: Corrected things and separated parts that didn't separate normally when this was uploaded.**


	11. Reason, Respite, and Vegetables

**Hey all, its VeloranDarkfyre and Du Mar working together again. We're very sorry for the delay, being busy isn't exactly what I like but its needed to pay the bills. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven: Reason, Respite, and Vegetables<strong>

Laz walked along the road, avoiding the potholes and rocks everywhere. He had just come from Auburn City barely defeating Alberon, the Water Type Gym Leader. It was a sunny day, but that didn't matter too much as Laz was nearing Ash Forest. Every now and then he glanced at a photo in his hand. It was the picture of a brown haired young man that was shot about 80 years ago.

"I'll find you, If it's the last thing I do." Laz said to himself as he entered Ash Forest, ready for anything.

(Meanwhile…)

Hyato scratched his short brown hair to knock the dust out of it. "Man, these stupid caves are getting to me." He said as they exited another of the caves covering the road.

"At least those holes in the roof provide plenty of light," Lydia said, brushing some dust off her coat.

"Yeah, and I caught a new Pokémon too." Hyato said, holding up a Pokéball. "That makes six, a full team."

"Umm, Hyato…" Lydia began.

"Hey! You there!" someone said. A red haired Trainer with a green hat walked over from behind a tree. "You're Hyato right? The one who jumped off the skyscraper."

"That's me." Hyato said proudly. "What do you want?"

"I'm Greg! I saw you jump off that building, but I don't think you're so tough. Fight me!" The Trainer said.

Hyato shrugged. "Why not."

"Alright! Let's go, Jumpluff!" Greg said, sending out a Jumpluff.

"Now's the perfect time to use my new Pokémon! Go Blade!" Hyato sent out a Bisharp, it cut through the air with a whooshing sound. "Blade, use Iron Head!" Blade smashed its hardened head into the Jumpluff with impressive force.

"Jumpluff, use cotton spore." Jumpluff let out large quantities of cotton tufts that stuck to Bisharp, slowing it considerably.

"Finish it with Aerial Ace!" Hyato ordered. Blade moved suddenly and precisely, cutting into Jumpluff with a finishing blow.

Greg recalled the fainted Jumpluff, "Go Toxicroak!" The poison/fighting type toad let out a loud croak as it entered the battle. "Use Mud Bomb!" Toxicroak sent a ball of mud that hit Blade hard. Blade withstood the damage and stayed in the fight.

"Use Slash," Blade moved forward, slowed by the cotton spores, and cut into Toxicroak with its left blade-arm.

"Now, Revenge!" Toxicroak launched a deadly blow, empowered by the hit it received, and knocked Blade from the battle.

"Return Blade. Go, Leifshadow!" Hyato's Shiftry quickly replaced Bisharp on the battle field. Its wind fans blew the cotton away. "This guy is weak, use Extrasensory!" Shiftry launched an odd, un-seeable psychic attack, and Toxicroak was done for.

"Nice move, but can you take the heat? Go Houndoom!" Greg's skull adorned hound was prepared to strike as it entered the field. "Use Fire Fang!" Houndoom's jaw surrounded in fire as it latched onto Leifshadow. The attack was significant, and left Leifshadow burned.

"Give it all you got Leifshadow! Use Rock slide!" Shiftry caused a rush of boulders to crush Houndoom, making its time on the battlefield a short one. Then Shiftry succumbed to its burns and fainted as well.

"Return!" said the two Trainers in unison.

"Let's go, Etheria!" Hyato sent out the blue form of Emerdjinn. Its body was covered in fierce purple flames and it was ready to fight.

"Alright, go Magneton!" The triple magnet Pokémon hovered around.

_Damn, we both have a type advantage._ Hyato thought.

"Magneton, use Shock Wave!" Magneton let out a wave of energy that Etheria couldn't avoid.

"Etheria, let's show him what it's like to burn! Use Flamethrower!" Etheria inflated, then let out a huge pillar of fire, coating the enemy Magneton completely. Magneton let out a fading noise as it fell to the ground with x's in its eyes. "You have no chance Greg!" Hyato boasted.

Greg withdrew the fainted Magneton and sent out another Pokémon silently. The Pokémon he sent out was a Steelix. A quick flamethrower took it down decisively.

_Only one more,_ thought Hyato, still unaware of the increased limit of Pokémon team. Greg sent out a Swampert.

"Alright Swampert, use Earthquake!" Swampert caused a powerful tectonic movement on the battlefield, but Etheria wasn't affected.

"Emerdjinn has Levitate, your ground move is useless." Hyato said, "Now Etheria, use Energy Ball." Etheria sent out a ball of green energy that caused Swampert to convulse in pain. Swampert fell, fainting.

Hyato screamed "Woohoo!" and jumped as Greg recalled his Swampert.

"Why are you celebrating? This battle isn't over yet, I have one more Pokémon, go Druddigon!" Greg's seventh Pokémon entered the battle, just as Hyato's fist connected with his face. Greg fell to the ground, blood spurting from his now broken nose. "What are you DOING?!" Greg screamed, trying to contain the blood gushing from his nose.

"You're only allowed SIX Pokémon!" Hyato said with an angry look on his face.

"Actually Hyato," Lydia said, "You can have up to TWELVE Pokémon in your party in the Trema league."

"Really?" Hyato said, "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"I tried to, but you cut me off. I thought you knew." Lydia said apologetically.

"Whatever," Greg said standing up, "Let's just finish this so I can leave." Hyato returned to his side of the field. "Dragon Claw," Greg said, coughing as he spoke. Druddigon moved forward and slashed with a powerful force. Etheria took the hit, and it showed, but the fight wasn't over for it.

"Etheria, we can take this clown. Use Ice Beam!" Hyato said.

"What, No!" Greg said. But the concentrated beam of frozen energy connected. Druddigon let out a weak growl as it fainted. The battle was over, with Hyato's victory.

Greg returned his Pokémon then threw a chunk of cash on the ground. "Take your winnings, I'm outta here!" Greg stormed off, heading back towards Tectra.

Hyato picked up the money and pocketed it. "I'd have apologized if he let me." Hyato said.

"He'll get over it, I hope." Lydia said. "Why don't we continue? We're almost all the way to Gateway now. Another good hour and we should be there."

Hyato looked up at the sky. It was a clear sunny day, and he had already gotten one Badge this morning. "Yeah, maybe I can get a second Badge in one day!" Hyato and Lydia pressed on ahead.

They soon came to a huge slope. They stood at the top, and looked down it.

Hyato looked down the hill, and yelled.

Shinryu sighed as he exited the PokéCenter, his mind going over his defeat. _That is a hard battle... The Trufyre was VERY powerful. _He thought as he released Night from her Pokéball. _Hmm... Lets see, I will go to Tectra City now to see if I can get any ideas on how to fight her._

"Oh Riiiiichard!" Called Rose's voice.

A shiver ran down Shinryu's spine. _Fuck... Not who I want to see right now._ Shinryu thought as he turned to face Rose, who was now wearing a low-cut tank top that exposed a majority of her D-size breasts, and shorts that allowed him a view of her legs. _As always... Slutty bimbo blonde attempts to seduce the handsome hero._ "Yes Rose?" He asked, keeping his emotions from his voice. _Wait? Where did that thought come from?!_

"Did you challenge Cyndea?" Rose asked in an attempt at a playful tone.

"Yes." Shinryu said.

"Did you win?"

"No."

"Aww...," Rose said, almost mockingly, "Too bad. My Swampert won the battle for me." Rose smiled widely. "And I am guessing you just walked right into the Gym before seeing the warning on the doorway?"

Shinryu thought back, but didn't remember any warning. "Warning?"

"The warning that was written into the archway of course. 'Enter now if you dare, to feed the Flames. Step inside, and you cannot leave without Victory or Defeat.' Is part of it," She voiced the warning in a fake deep tone, "The rest says that you are accepting a 'Challenge of Strategy' once you step foot into the Gym." Rose giggled as she tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear. "I figured I'd give the PC Storage Upgrade a test, and deposited all but Swampert, because once you step inside any Gym here the Storage Upgrade cannot access your PC."

_Is the answer really that simple?_ Thought Shinryu as he stared at Rose. "Oh well, I'll do that next time. Right now, Tectra City is my goal." He said as he turned around and started walking.

"Wait Richard," Rose whined, "I want to go with you; it's been too long since we talked."

Shinryu kept walking, his eyebrow twitching madly. _Grrr... Stupid blonde._ He thought as he nodded. "Then don't keep me waiting." He said, secretly wishing he didn't have to be nice.

Night growled in her mind at Rose. _I don't like her... She's trying to steal Shinryu!_ She thought as she ran over to Shinryu's side and walked with him.

Shinryu felt his stomach growl, and looked down. _Perhaps I should've eaten breakfast after all... _He thought to himself.

"So, what are your plans against Damian? I already have a strategy in mind."

_Shut up..._ Shinryu thought_. Ignore her._ He walked through the streets, passing by many wooden houses as he searched for a place to get something to eat.

"My plan is to use Swampert, and perhaps my Meganium. Grass and Water are the best choices against a Ground type trainer after all. But what is your strategy?"

_My strategy is to ignore you like the bitch you are_. Shinryu thought as the sound of a passing train nearby filled the air. He came to a large courtyard with a large park sequestered on the other side. He stopped and sniffed the air discreetly. _Hmm... Smells like Barbeque_. He thought as he walked through the Courtyard and saw a stand for Barbequed Food. _Hah! I was right._

"Richard? Why aren't you talking with me? You always used to talk with me." Rose complained in a higher voice than normal.

Shinryu mentally winced. _Oww... That hurt!_ He thought as he walked up to the stand. "Good morning. What's on the Menu?" He asked the man running the Grill.

"Anything you can barbeque of course." The man answered with a smile.

"I would like a cheeseburger and a hot dog." Shinryu said, pulling out his wallet because he didn't see a transfer device.

"530 Pokédollars please."

"You know those aren't good for you." Rose said in a hushed voice. "You can die from all of the fat and stuff they put in hot dogs."

_Just shut up!_ Shouted Shinryu in his mind as he paid the man running the grill and took his food. He turned around and began walking towards the North Exit, eating the hot dog all the while.

Night smirked inwardly. _He's ignoring her. Good._

"Richard! Why aren't you talking with me?!"

Shinryu sighed as he turned to face Rose while tearing a bite of his nearly finished hot dog. He chewed and swallowed. "I just don't feel like talking at the moment." He said before turning again to resume his walk.

"But we ALWAYS used to talk when we were dating. What changed you?"

_I believe it was because of your Superiority Complex that I dumped you._ Shinryu mentally ranted. _That, and how annoying you got whenever you did something better than I did. The ONLY reason you are a good trainer is because of your strategies and researching. If it weren't for that, you wouldn't have ever came here._ He started eating on his cheeseburger as they passed a large skyscraper. _Hmm... This is good barbeque._

"Richard please answer me! I missed you."

Shinryu chuckled. "Missed me huh?" He continued walking. "That I highly doubt. You used me as a puppet when we were dating. You betrayed me by sleeping with other men when I refused to have sex with you. You think you are so much better than me, even though it has been proven time and time again that I could defeat you in an all-out Pokémon Battle."

"Wha-? No, I never used you! And I never slept with-"

"Are you calling me a liar?" Shinryu asked, increasing his pace slightly.

"No! That is not what I am doing! I am just saying that Markus-"

"Markus told me everything. So stop now before you put your foot in your mouth... Again." Shinryu went silent and kept walking, his eyes showing his frustration with the blonde.

And said blonde, in true blonde fashion: "But... Richard. I love you."

_Yeah, just like you love every man who lays their hands on you._ He thought as he came to the exit and began to walk out.

"Yo! Richard." shouted Arthur, who was waiting outside the gate. "I was wondering when you would get here."

_Finally... A distraction._ "Hey Arthur. Where were you this morning?" He asked, walking next to his friend and completely ignoring Rose.

"I was waiting here for you. I challenged Cyndea last night before I went to bed, and won against her. I used a solid defensive strategy, so I was perfectly fine. How about you?"

_Great... He won against her too._ "I lost, but then again I can't always win."

"Too bad... Oh well, you can try again after you Challenge the Gym in Skymarsh." Arthur said enthusiastically as they walked up the hilly path leading towards Tectra.

"Ugh... Richard? Could you help me?" said Rose.

Shinryu sighed as he turned to look at Rose, and mentally laughed at what he saw.

Rose had tripped and was lying down on the ground at the bottom of the hill. She was sprawled in a way that showed off her body, so Shinryu noted that she did it on purpose. He walked back down the hill and held his hand down to her. "Come on you klutz."

Rose took Shinryu's hand and didn't bother to help as he easily pulled her up off of the ground. "Thank you." She giggled girlishly and started walking ahead of him, purposefully swaying her hips in an attempt to entice him.

_Not going to work, no longer attracted to you._ Shinryu thought as he followed her up the hill and nodded to Arthur. His thoughts turned to Night, and he smiled as he looked down at her. She smiled back and rubbed against his leg while walking next to him. _Because I now know who I belong with after being blinded for so long to her love._

Shinryu wasn't happy as he continued his journey. Rose had attempted every trick in the Slutty Playbook to attempt to entice him into liking her, and she wouldn't stop. She had stopped to view the 'scenery' while he was talking with Arthur and wasn't paying attention, causing him to walk right into her and fall on top of her.

Night was pissed. She hated the fact that this blonde bimbo was trying to steal HER mate. She wanted to tear into her and kill her, but she knew if she did, Shinryu wouldn't be pleased.

_What I wouldn't give to meet up with Hyato at this point..._ Thought Shinryu as he was talking with Arthur about strategies to use against the Earth Gym.

Just then a loud voice filled the air. "SHINRYU-UUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Shinryu looked up to see Hyato running down the hill towards him screaming at the top of his lungs.

_What the hell?_ "HYATO-OOOOOOOOO!" Shinryu ran up the hill towards Hyato, leaving a confused Arthur and Rose behind him.

The two trainers looked peculiar as they ran towards each other, screaming their lungs out. Lydia attempted to keep up with Hyato, but wasn't as fast.

Shinryu slowed to a stop around the middle of the hill, but momentum and gravity pulled Hyato along. Hyato tried to stop, but ended up tripping and rolling down another forty feet.

Shinryu stared down at Hyato, a large smile on his face. "Nice trip. How was the fall?" Hyato raised one thumb up in the air, as he lay there in an awkward position. Lydia reached Shinryu and flashed a weak smile before helping Hyato off the ground.

Lydia was helping Hyato brush off the dust when Rose and Arthur arrived. "What was that about?" Arthur asked.

"Don't ask me." Shinryu said behind a laugh. "It was worth it though."

"Who are these people?" Asked Rose.

Shinryu smiled. "Hyato and Lydia, meet Rose and Arthur. Arthur and Rose, meet Hyato and Lydia."

"Yo!" Hyato said.

"Lydia Landstar, Nice to meet you." said Lydia, "Are you both Trema league challengers also?"

"Yes." Arthur and Rose say in unison, and then stare at each other as if wondering how in the hell they said it at the same time.

Shinryu shook his head. "Yeah, they are. Those two just recently got the Inferno Badge... I lost against Cyndea though. She was tough." He paused. "I think we should find a flat expanse, I'd like to sit down for a while."

"There was a sitting area with benches at the top of the hill." Lydia said.

"Then let's GO!" Hyato cheered, paving the way towards the top of the hill.

Shinryu ran up the hill also, outpacing Lydia, Arthur and Rose as Night followed after him. "You're fast." He said as he caught up with Hyato.

Hyato smiled, "Maybe we should race to see who is faster!"

"No Hyato," Lydia said, arriving in time to hear the challenge, "We want to have enough time in Gateway to fight the Gym."

"Nah, I don't want to right now. Perhaps later?" Shinryu smirked as he sat down on a bench.

Arthur walked up the hill, carrying an 'exhausted' Rose over his shoulder. "Sorry, she fell and couldn't breathe very well." Lydia raised an eyebrow to this, but said nothing.

"So," Hyato said, sitting down. "What now?"

Shinryu shook his head as Arthur let Rose back down. "Who's hungry?" He asked. "I feel like making lunch."

"But you just ate. Are you hungry again?" Asked Arthur.

Hyato cheered, "Alright! What's for lunch?"

"Hmm..." Shinryu opened his bag and started to dig through it busily. "Alright, there's jerky that I forgot about. It's still fresh, so it's okay." He pulled out a LARGE bag of jerky and set it aside. "I still have some sandwiches that my grandma gave me, so we can have those also." Shinryu pulled out a few slightly flattened sandwiches. "And some cans of Chili." He adds 4 cans of the already cooked beans to the pile of food.

Arthur blinked. "Whoa... You prepared for this. That's a huge bag of jerky!"

"Hyato get me the pot and some potatoes," Lydia said. Hyato started digging through his bag. "The jerky and chili with our potatoes should make for a good stew. Got any vegetables?"

"Yes... If I can find them." Shinryu went back to his bag and resumed digging through it. "Ah! Here we go!" He pulls out a large bag of salad.

Arthur is staring at Shinryu's bag. "What is your bag made of? And how can it hold THAT much?!"

Shinryu shrugged. "Don't ask me. I have no idea."

"I meant something that we can add to the stew. We have some carrots and onions, but that's about it." Lydia said.

"Well..." Shinryu sniffed the bag of salad and his face turned to show a grossed out look. "These aren't good anymore." He digs through his bag again. "How about mushrooms?"

"That's good," Lydia said adding the mushrooms to the table. She began chopping up the vegetables. Hyato set up a fire pit, pulling out Draxio to get it lit. The Noirignia lit the firewood in the pit.

Shinryu paused as he dug through his bag to try and organize it. "Whoa... What Pokémon is that?"

Arthur and Rose looked surprised at seeing Noirignia while Night didn't seem to care.

Hyato was filling up the pot with water from a nearby nozzle. "That's Draxio. A Noirignia." He said. Draxio looked at the strangers with a critical gaze.

Shinryu checked his Pokédex. "Whoa, cool Pokémon." _[Noirignia: Fire/Poison evolution of Noirignis. Its deadly miasma is poisonous and highly flammable, causing this super-toxin Pokémon to be superior __in combat. They are known for their fierce and unrelenting nature.]_

"Richard." Rose started, walking up behind Shinryu and throwing her arms around his neck, hanging off of him. "What does your Dex say about the Pokémon?"

_Stupid..._ Shinryu rolled his eyes. "It says something that you couldn't understand most likely. You hardly ever pull yours out and use it." _Heheh... Burn._

"That's because I prefer hearing you tell me Richard."

Shinryu's eyebrow began to twitch rapidly. He closed his Pokédex. "I am not saying a thing, and could you get off of me?"

Night growled dangerously. _Why you!_

"Richard, keep control over your Pokémon."

Shinryu chuckled. "Why should I? She is protective, and you're too close to me."

"What would I ever do to you?" Rose asked, caressing his arms. "Nothing more than you want me to." She whispered huskily.

A loud '_thunk'_ broke the mood as Lydia slammed her butcher knife into the cutting board. "That behavior is quite inappropriate!" She said.

"What?" asked Rose as she let Shinryu go. Shinryu wore a VERY relieved look on his face that Lydia could see. "He's my boyfriend." And then his mood instantly became enraged.

"No, you aren't." Shinryu growled, standing up.

Hyato was standing next to Arthur, suppressing his laughter. Arthur chuckled at the display. "What do you think of the show?" He asked Hyato.

"This is better than TV." Hyato said holding his breath, as he tried not to laugh.

"Even if he were your boyfriend, there's no reason to act that way." Lydia disciplined.

Shinryu turned to face Rose, a dark look in his eyes. "If I remember right, we broke up. Don't go around claiming me as your boyfriend, because I. Am. Not."

Hyato couldn't contain himself anymore; he burst out laughing at the top of his lungs, rolling on the ground hysterically.

Arthur burst out laughing as well, clutching his side as he leaned against a post for balance.

Shinryu smirked. "See? They don't believe you. So stop the charade and leave me alone." He sat back down. "Do you want any help Lydia?" He asked, a slight tone of begging in his voice.

Night stopped growling. _Hahaha! In your face, bitch._ She closed her eyes happily.

"You can heat up the chili in a pan, and cut up the jerky." Lydia said, setting Shinryu to work.

Shinryu nodded as he began to set about to his task. _Thank you..._

Draxio was stirring the water in the pot, which was almost boiling. He had a pleased look in his eye from watching the events. _'Humans are always good for a laugh_,' he said quietly in Pokéspeech. His voice sounded like the crackling of fire, so only Night heard it.

Night opened one eye and stared at Draxio. _'Yeah, humans can be good for a laugh. I love it when someone insults that female.'_

Rose shrugged and turned to face Arthur and Hyato. "Hey... Why is a poison type minding the broth?" She asked Hyato directly. "And stop laughing. That wasn't funny."

"I don't know what you think. But I found that funny." said Arthur, a large grin on his face.

Hyato stopped laughing shortly. "Draxio's a good cook. He'll be fine minding the broth, I'm pretty sure he's happy to do something besides fight." Draxio nodded.

"But-" Rose started.

"Rose, stop." Arthur said, having already stopped his laughing. "I know from experience that Poison Pokémon actually make wonderful cooks. I say if you don't have one helping you, you should watch out because they can tell if it is good or bad to eat."

"I didn't know that." Hyato said smiling, "I just figured he'd like something to do." Hyato went over to the now boiling water and added some broth mix.

"I actually didn't know that either." Shinryu said as he was making sure the chili didn't get too hot and start bubbling.

Night couldn't resist a giggle, which sounded like a pleased growl because she wasn't using her voice.

With Shinryu and Hyato's help, Lydia prepared a delicious potato stew in about half an hour. Everyone sat down to eat; there was enough for their Pokémon as well. Hyato sent out his Etheria and Leifshadow to eat with them. "My other Pokémon wouldn't eat this." he explained.

Lydia didn't send out any of her Pokémon.

Shinryu sent out Dusk and Flare. "Here you go." He said, giving them their portion and also giving Night her portion.

Arthur didn't send any out. "Most of mine won't eat this also."

Rose didn't even bother. "I don't think Pokémon should be eating human food."

"I didn't know you had a Blaziken," Hyato said. "I thought you specialized in Dragon and Dark types."

"Oh Flare?" Shinryu smiled. "She's a special part of my team. I wouldn't trade her out for anything. And I do specialize primarily in Dark and Dragon types, however I use others because I like to confuse people who read too much into my Trainer Profile."

"Oh, by the way, how was your fight with Cyndea?" Hyato asked.

Shinryu sighed. "I lost remember? … It was harder than I thought."

"Hey, I'll tell you about Damian if you give me some advice on Cyndea," Hyato suggested.

"Certainly. Cyndea uses a Fire Type Called Trufyre, one of the Elementals according to my Dex. Her battle was complex... If one of your Pokémon faints in a Triple battle against her, the Challenge is lost. And upon entering the Gym... You can only leave through winning against her or losing." Shinryu explained.

"Oh, Damian used an Elemental! He had a Graniton, ground type, really sturdy. Anyway the rules are weird. Every time you land a hit you get one point. If you make a Pokémon faint you get five points." Hyato explained.

"Now I found out that moves like fury swipes that hit multiple times each count for a hit. Plus I found out a loophole, I had Draxio use a fire type move similar to explosion. Since he and the enemy Pokémon fainted, I got eleven points."

"Oh yeah, and you win if you get to thirty points." Hyato finished.

"Interesting! That is a test on intelligence and planning." Shinryu smirked. "Should be a fun match."

Draxio heard Hyato describe the battle, and his mood darkened. Draxio wasn't eating, as Noirignia's feed off of toxins. He was looking over Shinryu's Pokémon with an unfriendly gaze.

"Hey, Hyato. What's up with Draxio?" asked Arthur. "He doesn't seem to like Richard's Pokémon."

"Who's Richard?" Hyato asked, finally noticing that they've been calling Shinryu 'Richard' this whole time. "Oh, you mean Shinryu... I dunno, Draxio can like them or not, that's up to him." Draxio pretended not to notice the humans talking about him.

Shinryu shrugged. "Probably his personality." He said, eating some of the jerky.

Rose huffed. "Well, that needs to be corrected in my opinion."

Draxio launched himself at Rose nearly smashing into her, if Hyato hadn't gotten in the way. "Calm down Draxio." Hyato said, locking eyes with him. Draxio backed off.

"You see that! He just tried to attack me!"

Shinryu chuckled. "You said something he didn't like. Pokémon are intelligent, and understand what we are saying."

"He's right Rose." Arthur said. "If I could just understand what mine thought, I'd just talk with them for hours."

Shinryu rolled his eyes slightly. _You have no idea what that's like. They're like children!_

Draxio returned to where he was. _'Stupid Human!'_ Draxio spat, causing a section of the ground to melt. _'Hyato needs to hurry up and finish socializing so we can get away from these idiots!'_

Shinryu raised an eyebrow, but he kept his face clean of emotions.

_'Be nice,'_ urged Etheria.

_'There's no reason to.'_ Draxio continued, _'I don't like these people, or them.'_ Draxio was glaring over at Night, Dusk, and Flare again.

_Hmmm..._ Thought Shinryu as the rest of the humans ate in silence. _Where is this going?_

_'I don't know how Hyato could've lost to this pest, even though all he had was you.'_ Draxio said to Etheria_, 'I mean, his Pokémon look so weak. I wonder how they can stand being with such a retarded human.'_

_Retarded?_ Shinryu thought, a slight look of surprise going across his face quickly before it was replaced with his normal emotionless mask.

_'Hey! He isn't retarded!'_ Exclaimed Dusk, who jumped to her feet and stared over at Draxio.

Night tilted her head. _'What makes you think we're weak? You haven't even fought us yet.'_

Flare crossed her arms. _'Really now? Why are you two children falling for his taunts? Its what he wants.'_

Draxio glared at Dusk with a venomous stare._ 'It's easy to know if a Pokémon is weak,' _he said to Night,_ 'when their Trainer, is retarded.'_

"That's enough." Shinryu said, stopping his Pokémon from their retorts. "Hyato, your Draxio likes to rile other Pokémon."

Hyato looked over blankly.

_'Stay out of this, Human.'_ Draxio said.

Shinryu raised an eyebrow at Draxio. "Stay out of what? A petty squabble?"

A look of surprise fell over Draxio's face for a moment, then he narrowed his eyes. _'A chosen huh?'_ He spat on the ground, causing another small crater. _'You Humans need to learn to stay out of Pokémon affairs.'_

Everyone looked at Shinryu confusedly.

Shinryu chuckled. "A spiteful one aren't you?"

_'What's to laugh about?'_ Draxio asked.

_'There's no need to continue._' Etheria said. Draxio ignored Etheria.

"What... are you doing?" Hyato asked Shinryu tentatively.

Shinryu shrugged. "Just talking."

Hyato nodded slowly, then returned to his stew. Draxio moved over to Hyato and crossed his arms. Hyato knew what he meant, and recalled Draxio into his Pokéball.

Shinryu recalled Dusk and Flare.

"Hyato, you really should learn to control how wild your Pokémon behave. That isn't right." Said Rose.

"It's not my fault. Draxio just doesn't play well with others." Hyato said, becoming irked, "So mind your own business."

"Well, Pokémon should at least behave around humans! The way Draxio tried attacking me shouldn't have ever happened." Rose explains.

_Whu-oh..._ Thought Shinryu. _She's gonna get chewed out. Bring out the Popcorn!_

"If you weren't bitching about him, he wouldn't have attacked you!" Hyato said, his anger rising.

"Please... Calm down Hyato," Lydia said.

"What was that?! I am not a bitch!" Rose exclaimed.

"**You are the bitchiest of bitchy Bitches I've ever seen!**" Hyato roared, rising to his feet.

**"No I am not!"** Rose screamed.

"**YES YOU-"** Hyato trailed off. He was no longer yelling, but an expression of anger was glued to his face. He was looking past the others, staring at the man in the white cloak.

The others couldn't see the white cloaked man.

"_You..."_ Hyato hissed.

"Hyato? What's going on?" Asked Arthur, and Shinryu stared over in the direction Hyato was looking in.

"I don't see anything." Shinryu said.

Hyato jumped over everyone's heads, running out into the road and throwing a powerful punch... at nothing. Hyato saw the white robed man dodge out of the way.

"We've got to stop him!" Lydia cried running after Hyato, who was now chasing nothing up across the road.

Shinryu ran after Hyato also, unleashing his speed to the max. _He's stronger than normal, I know this. She'll need my help._

"**You won't take me!"** Hyato roared, smashing his fist into the white robed man. But it had no effect. Lydia and Shinryu caught up to Hyato, grabbing ahold of his arms. "Stop! What are you doing?" Hyato cried, fear evident in his voice. Then Hyato was removed from his body again.

Hyato stopped moving for a second, then started thrashing out of control. Shinryu grunted as he held Hyato with all of his strength. "Calm down!"

Hyato didn't calm down. He kept thrashing harder and harder, managing to break free of Lydia and Shinryu's grasp. He started running towards a cliff.

Shinryu's eyes widened. "**STOP!**" He ran after him, his body beginning to glow as his Aura began to become slightly visible. Shinryu managed to tackle Hyato to the ground and pin him. After a few minutes of struggling, the unconscious Hyato gave in.

"What just happened?" Asked Arthur as he ran up to be within hearing range. "Why was Richard glowing?"

Lydia, who was treating her wounded knee when Shinryu glowed, hadn't seen this. "He was glowing?" She asked as she started checking Hyato for wounds. Shinryu backed away from Hyato to allow Lydia to do so.

"Yes... He was." Arthur said.

Rose walked slowly up to everyone. "See? He's crazy."

Lydia stood up slowly, walked over to Rose and slapped her hard on the cheek, leaving a red mark.

Shinryu blinked. _Go Lydia! _He mentally cheered.

"Ow! What was that for?" Rose asked, staring at Lydia with a shocked look on her bruised face.

"Keep your mouth shut, whore!" Lydia said icily.

"Humph." Rose turned and started walking up the path towards Tectra.

Lydia turned to Shinryu, "Would you help me carry him back over there?" she asked. Shinryu nodded and gently lifted Hyato up, not wanting to give Lydia a reason to smack him.

"I'd better go make sure she doesn't hurt herself." Said Arthur, running after Rose.

_Bitch deserved it_. Thought Night.

Lydia set out a sleeping mat and Shinryu placed Hyato on it carefully. Hyato had a distressed look on his face, as well as a twinge of fear. "Darkrai..." he whispered, only Shinryu heard it.

"Thanks for your help, and everything else." Lydia said to Shinryu as he stood up. Etheria and Leifshadow gathered around Hyato with worry in their movements.

Shinryu decided he'd best not mention what Hyato said. "You're welcome Lydia." Shinryu said. _Darkrai?_ "And good smack by the way. She more than deserved it."

Lydia smiled. "Well good luck on getting the Fissure badge. I hope Hyato's advice comes in handy."

Shinryu and Night left, leaving Lydia to care after Hyato.

Shinryu walked alone with Night for a bit, enjoying a peaceful walk towards Tectra. He wasn't worried about Arthur or... Rose because of the fact they were together. _I think Arthur should ask her out to get her off of my back. _He thought as he stopped.

"Shinryu... You very nearly gave us away today." Night said softly, who had walked in front of Shinryu and stoped him. "Arthur saw your Aura."

Shinryu looked down at Night. "I know, but I couldn't allow Hyato to fall off of that cliff."

"But why did you have to save him? I still think that-"

"Night, enough." Shinryu said very gently, looking the Absol in her eyes. "I want you to just please stop saying that for now, he hasn't shown any form of being evil in my mind. Besides... You know I follow the Code. Unless he reveals evil intentions and actively harms people OR Pokémon, I will defend and protect him in any way I can."

"But Shinryu... Oh okay fine." Night stared up at Shinryu, but inclined her head in defeat.

"Night..." Shinryu knelt down next to his mate and placed his hand on her head. "Don't read too much into that. I need proof before I start accusing someone of something that I don't know for certain, and you know this already."

Night nodded reluctantly. "I know... And I understand."

"You know I love you right?" Shinryu asked softly.

Night smiled gently and nuzzled Shinryu's cheek after getting closer. "I know. And I love you."

"Good." Shinryu smiled at Night and looked around, seeing no one nearby. He kissed Night's forehead and stood up. "Well, let's go catch up to those two. Who knows what happened without us?"

Night smirked as she nodded, and they both stood up to run in the direction of Tectra City after Arthur and Rose.

* * *

><p><strong>We promise battles and twists later! And I specifically have one in mind that will shock you all... Oops, did I say that? ~Veloran Darkfyre and Du Mar<strong>


	12. A Badge and Relief

****Hi all, I'm back once again. I've been busy recently, what with losing my job and having to look around for another. Don't worry, I'll still be writing this and my other stories. Just a little slowly compared to normal. XD****

_**Anyhow, on with the story! ~VeloranDarkfyre**_

****Chapter Twelve: A Badge and Relief****

* * *

><p>Laz wore a black coat and tie as he walked out of a clothes store in Gateway City. He cast his thoughts backwards to his battle with Lydia. <em>She gave a command to my Pokémon, and it followed it. I'll have to file a report on her. But the company she keeps is even more interesting.<em>

Laz looked at his watch, pacing nervously near the city's north gate. _What's taking them so long, If I don't intercept them then..._ A phone call cut him off.

"Hello?" Laz asked his caller, "Yes. Yes. I've confirmed it, I have no doubt that Hyato is the one. No. No, they should have been here by now, something must be keeping them on the road. Of course. I understand. Absolutely..." Laz's phone call ended.

Laz took a bite of something black and chewy. "You'd better hurry up Hyato, or the strike team will get you first."

* * *

><p>"Arthur!" Called Shinryu as he was gaining ground on the two, who were walking together. "Wait up!"<p>

Rose stopped and turned to stare at Shinryu as Arthur stood nearby, waiting with her arms crossed. Once Shinryu was within range, she glared at him. "Why didn't you argue with that bitch?" She asked.

Shinryu glared back at Rose once he stopped. "Because I personally don't see a reason to argue with the truth."

"But Richard-"

"Rose... Stop." Arthur says softly, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "So," He turned to face Shinryu. "Why were you glowing back there?"

Shinryu shrugged. "I wasn't glowing. You were just seeing things."

"Wait... He was glowing?" Asked Rose.

"See?" Shinryu said, smiling. "Are you sure you're okay? Have you fully recovered from your Coma?"

Arthur sighed. "I thought that I saw you glowing slightly though... I guess I might not be as well off as I thought."

Shinryu chuckled, walking over to Arthur to pat him on the shoulder. "Oh well. Its okay, it just means your imagination hasn't been affected." He smiled at Arthur, who nodded back to him with a smile. _Good. I can still keep people in the dark._

"Richard, why did Hyato call you Shinryu?" Asked Rose curiously.

Shinryu turned to face Rose slowly. "Wow... You are dense." He said harshly. "It is because of Seth, and I know for a fact I already told you a while ago. Now enough questions, we have already wasted enough time." He turned and began walking, and then stopped. "What is that?" He asked, turning to look around.

"What is what?" Asked Arthur, a confused look on his face.

"Shh!" Shinryu hissed, and all became quiet.

*Crrrr-aaaa-ck!*

Shinryu looked at his bag, and slowly set it down. He opened the main flap, and gently pulled out a oblong orb wrapped in a red towel. He slowly unwrapped it, and there was the egg he had been carrying around. "Its hatching..." He whispered, and placed the egg down gently as Night approached and stared curiously at the hatching Pokémon that would be known as Soul began to push its way out of the confines of the shell.

Once the Pokémon was free of its shell Shinryu got a good look at its form: A purplish-blue humanoid Pokémon, with a white gem inset to its forehead and deep blue eyes. It stood at about 1 foot tall, but it was hovering in the air slightly as it was staring around inquisitively.

"So this is Soul." Shinryu remarked as he pulled out his Pokédex. ***Ping* {Pokédex entry: Soul Type: Psychic. Naturally curious, a Soul will examine everything it sees with extreme interest. A Soul is able to see directly into the hearts of people and Pokémon, and will do its best to make sure its Trainer is happy.}**

"Fascinating." Arthur whispered as he knelt down to look directly at the small Pokémon that had just recently hatched.

Shinryu smiled at the Pokémon before him, which looked up at him with a inquisitive stare. "Hello little one."

The Soul tilted its head as it examined the boots Shinryu wore. And then it was on top of his head and inspecting his hat.

Chuckling, Shinryu looked up as he allowed the Pokémon to do what it wanted. "You definitely are curious... Perhaps I should call you Taina."

The Pokémon peered over the rim of Shinryu's cap and stared down at him. "Soul!" It shouted happily, its eyes closed in joy.

The smile on Shinryu's face grew. _That was easier than naming Azar. Oh well. _"Alright, I guess I should name the other one in my party." He pulled off a Pokéball from his belt and expanded it. "Come on out."

After the light from the Pokéball faded away, the it was revealed. It was a small white Pokemon, with fur and large ears. It looked somewhat like a cat, but its eyes were all white and it had no nose or mouth. There was an upward facing Crescent on its forehead, and a circle with a black side and a white side. It looked up at Shinryu and cried "Dyaaa!" in a cute way.

Shinryu blinked as his Pokédex immediately pinged. ***Ping* {Dyaphum The Dark Moon Pokemon. Type: Dark. Like Clefairy, it is said to have fallen from the moon. Unlike Clefairy, a moon stone does nothing to it. Its large ears and long tail help it to see and maneuver in complete darkness. The Pokemon's lack of sight is replaced by its incredible awareness. Many people collect these cute Pokemon as pets, due to their over all happy nature.} **He stared at the excited Pokémon before it had climbed up his side to sit on top of his head happily next to Taina. "I'll call you Umbrax."

"Well... Seems like all of the Pokémon you come to have travel with you like you." Arthur stated as he laughed a bit.

Rose looked put off, but she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Pokémon do seem to like you." She said haltingly.

Shinryu chuckled as the two Pokémon on his head began to chatter away with each other. "Pokémon love me." He recalled the two Pokémon and shrunk their Pokéballs. "I guess I should train them, but later. Lets get on moving to Tectra, I think we're almost there."

Arthur and Rose both nodded. They stood up almost simultaneously as Shinryu stopped and turned to look into the woods behind him. _Something is following us, but what? _Hewonders as Night follows his gaze and growls lowly. "Alright, we're leaving." He stands up and begins walking quickly.

As the group begins to disappear over the horizon, a figure peers out from the shadows of the trees before disappearing before someone could take notice.

* * *

><p>"You! You're an Agent of Darkrai!" Hyato accused. The man in the white cloak stood passive as the world twisted and bent around them. "I am not going to be controlled, I don't believe you and I don't intend to follow through with what you want with me!"<p>

Hyato's words seemed to pass harmlessly off of the man. They stood juxtaposed in a twisted image of the real world. Finally the robed man spoke, "I am not who you think I am."

Hyato raised one eyebrow and instinctively reached for a pokeball that wasn't there.

"Listen to me," The man said, "I serve only one person, and he is not Darkrai." Hyato opened his mouth to argue but, "Don't! I need to speak my message before this effect fades." Hyato waited patiently, becoming more relaxed.

"The leader of my group is an ageless warrior, he hails from hundreds of years ago and has fought in many conflicts far greater than mentioned in the world today. But there is a problem, he went missing and left no trace of his whereabouts. I expect he'll be coming to Trema, because what is coming will attract a lot of attention, so be prepared. He is no threat to you, but the person hunting him is very much so. I believe tha-" the man's voice faded along with his image.

The world began to correct itself and pull out of the shadows. Hyato felt his eyes close, then open to see the sky and the real world. "Uggggh." Hyato groaned as he sat up.

Lydia turned from where she sat, "Oh, good! You're awake. I was afraid you'd sleep all day." Lydia said, smiling but sounding worried.

"I'm fine," Hyato said as he stood up, "how long was I out?"

"About two hours I think," Lydia said, she bit her lip, "Um..."

Hyato stared at her for a moment, "Yes?"

"Do- do you want to talk about it?"

"I'd rather not." Hyato said, looking away.

"Very well. Why don't we get to Gateway City?" Lydia suggested.

"Yeah."

They walked in silence, heading out at a steady pace, but the further they got the more lively they became. Before long it was as if nothing happened and Hyato was back to being his cheery self.

"There's the City!" Hyato exclaimed as the skyline came into view. The massive wall protecting the border between the four cities and the deeper areas of Trema.

"It's still a ways off," Lydia said, "Why don't we..."

"Screw it, I'm running" Hyato said as he took off full pelt. Lydia sighed, then followed as fast as she could.

They ran for about ten minutes before they arrived, and quickly made it into the city. "Alright, now where's this Pokémon gym?" Hyato wondered aloud.

"Can't we..." Lydia panted, "Get something... to eat... first?"

Hyato's stomach rumbled at the mention of food. "Uh, yeah... sure." Hyato said, embarrassed.

They made their way to a small sandwich shop for lunch, unaware of of the blue haired sleuth who tailed them. Laz, who had seen them enter the city, had decided to hold off on approaching them for the time being.

* * *

><p>Shinryu pulled his Pokégear out and checked the time. "Its almost three in the afternoon." He said as he looked back the way he came and nearly face-faulted at what he saw. "DAMN! YOU TWO ARE SLOW!" He shouted back because Rose was constantly falling and tripping over blades of grass or some other shit that he didn't care about. He shook his head and looked at the time again. "Meh, oh well. Their fault. Come on Night, let's go challenge the Leader!"<p>

Night nodded and bolted after Shinryu who had started running through the streets of the city at an almost unbelievable speed for a human. _Ooh... A race! _She thought as she followed after Shinryu, leaving Arthur and Rose behind.

Shinryu laughed as he spun and twirled around the people in the crowded street, with most of those that he passes turning around with confusion at what they just saw. He then saw a ramp where some movers and their Machokes were lugging around packages and boxes. With a devilish grin, Shinryu bolted up the ramp just as the last of the Pokémon got off and jumped over onto the truck itself and jumped onto the roof of the buildings and began rolling and tumbling until he found his way to the streets where Night was panting heavily.

Shinryu smirked at Night. "Exhausted girl?" He asked with amusement.

_Oooh you're SOOO lucky I can't maul you! _Night growled inside of her mind as she nodded, still panting from the exertion of trying to keep up with Shinryu.

Shinryu chuckled as he pretty much knew what she was thinking as he stood up himself and looked around. "Alright, now where is the Gym here?" He wondered out loud while spotting a map of the City. He made a beeline for it and began to examine it. "Let's see... If we're here and the Gym is over there. That should be probably around five blocks from us that away." He said pointing to his right.

Night rolled her eyes. _We just came from that way... _She groaned mentally.

Shinryu frowned as he looked at the map again. "Oh my. I passed it without realizing during my bout of rooftop parkour! Let's go!" He shouted before running back in the OTHER direction.

Night groaned to herself as she ran after Shinryu. _Damn his randomness._

Shinryu stopped in front of the Tectra City Gym, staring at the bright green color with his hands on his hips as Night came to a stop panting as she sat next to him. "I shouldn't have missed this. It sticks out like a sore thumb." He spoke to himself. "I see no challenge or puzzle on the door, so lets give it a try." He walked forward and placed his hand on the doors to push against them. _What the hell? _Hethought as they didn't budge at all. He pushed harder, applying his full unnatural power to try and force them open.

Shinryu growled as he backed a bit away, his eyes flashing brightly crimson momentarily as he calmed himself down. _If I can't open it with even my strength, then how can I get in? _Hewondered as he tried to push the doors apart but with no success. He attempted to pull on the edges but failed. "Damn..." He backed away fully and sighed as he glared at the door. "This is impossible... I can't get inside no matter what I do." He turned away and began to walk down the street with Night trotting at his side.

_So Karma bites you in the butt my Mate. _Night thought. _That's what you get._

Shinryu walked with his hands in his pockets, his eyes looking down at his feet as he contemplated over what happened. _The doors were definitely reinforced blast steel. Something I wouldn't ever be able to budge from what I know of my strength. But how does a Gym Leader afford that kind of security? I can understand Cyndea's Gym Layout because of how it locks into place after sliding down __and the gout of flame keeping me inside for the match... There must be a puzzle in this somewhere. _Hegrowled as he kicked a can harder than he meant and sent it whizzing through the air to smash against a wall, barely missing a bunch of people and collapsing in itself. _Oops, a bit overpowered there. _Hethought while sweat-dropping as people stared at the can with shock.

"Holy shit! Was that a bullet?!"

"Where'd that come from?!"

"Agh! That almost hit me!"

Shinryu blinked. _Whoa... What a kick… I guess. I should be more careful of my power in public._

Night giggled softly under her breath.

Shinryu sighed and sat down on a bench, leaning against it and closed his eyes, calming himself down.

"Excuse me?" Asked a male voice.

Shinryu opened his eyes and stared at a tall man wearing dark blue clothes. "Yes?"

"You're Shinryu correct? The Dragonsong of Hoenn?" He asked with a smile, his dark blue eyes glittering.

Shinryu nodded. "Yes I am. And you are Seth Jameson of Kanto. Famous for training difficult and fierce Pokémon exclusively."

Seth smirked. "So you know about me huh? Good. Come on, let me treat you to dinner. Anything you want, I will let you get."

Shinryu nodded. "Free food... Sounds good to me. Let's go Night." He stood up and followed Seth towards a open courtyard where a restaurant of black granite was built. _Looks old... I hope they have __good food. _He thought as Seth opened the door. He spotted a familiar old man and smiled. "Kirk!" He exclaimed.

"Eh? Oh Shinryu? Is that you lad?" Called the blind Martial Artist, smiling widely as Shinryu sat across from him. "Well isn't this a surprise. I didn't expect to see you here. I thought perhaps you had already been here."

Shinryu smiled, even though he knew Kirk couldn't see it. "No, I haven't yet. The Gym was locked for some reason."

Seth sat down at a chair next to him. "Well, it seems you're not the only one denied. So many people have been frustrated with the inability to enter the Gym to challenge Damian. And I just heard of a few groups of Trainers being robbed of their pokémon."

Shinryu's fist hit the stone table, and a small crack spiderwebbed from where it connected causing Seth to pale and Kirk to look around blindly. "Who did it?" He asked calmly, with a hint of darkness laced in his voice.

"A group that calls themselves Harbingers of Chaos. Team Chaos." Seth answers, sweat-dropping.

Shinryu clenched his fist until they turned white from the pressure. And then he released. "I knew I shouldn't have let that Grunt go." He said under his breath. "Nevermind, I over reacted. I just dislike those that steal pokémon for their own gain."

Seth nodded.

The doors opened and two young women stepped into the restaurant, giggling amongst themselves.

"Oh Lilly, you can't!" Said the girl with midnight black hair laced with blue streaks.

"And why not?" Asked the other, swishing her dark red hair back behind her ears. "He looks cute. And I like cute." She smiled at Shinryu, causing a shiver to run down his spine at the wave of lust that overcame him.

"Lilly, Amber." Seth said, standing up to hug the two. "What took you so long?"

"Oh nothing much." Lilly started, smiling cutely at Shinryu who was starting to get worried. She adjusted her white dress up her body as if it was slipping down and threatening to slide past her generous chest.

"She's being modest Seth." Amber said, rolling her eyes as she tightened the belt on her ACU cargo pants. "We just defeated Damian. We both have our second badge."

"WHAT?!" Seth shouted, staring at the two girls. "You managed to enter the Gym?! How did you two get inside?!"

Amber shrugged. "It just opened for us." She said simply before taking off her black leather jacket to reveal that she was wearing a tank-top underneath. "I don't know why people are saying they can't get inside." She sat down in the seat next to Shinryu before Lilly could take it.

"Hello." Shinryu said casually, looking around for the waiter.

"Hi." Amber smiled gently.

"Hey! Amber!" Whined Lilly, pouting. "I wanted to sit next to the hunk."

_Hunk? _Shinryu thought, blinking slightly.

"Snooze you lose." Amber stuck her tongue out at Lilly before said beauty sat down.

The waiter came over and handed out a menu to everyone, including a braille edition to Kirk. "Here you go. I'll be back shortly."

Shinryu opened his menu and began scanning it quickly, noting everything available before closing it. "How are you today Kirk?" He asked.

Kirk smiled. "I am doing fine. Just continuing on despite everything life throws at me." He closed his menu and set it aside carefully. "How about you?"

"Doing good. Lost against Cyndea in Gateway though."

"Really? How powerful is she if you lost?" Seth asked, cutting in.

"Lets just say... Everything went boom." Shinryu grimaced. "Eruption, Full Health, no hits taken, a powerful Fire Type Pokémon."

"You talking about Trufyre?" Asked Amber, putting her menu down. "I am actually Cyndea's neice thrice removed, however we don't get along. But still, a Trufyre is a Pokémon you don't want to mess with."

Shinryu nodded. "Yeah. I found that out first hand." He grimaced.

Night nuzzled against Shinryu's leg, leaning closer to the white-haired trainer who reached down to lightly run his hands through her fur while waiting for the waiter to come back.

"Ohh... She's beautiful!" Exclaimed Lilly, giggling like a school girl. "Can I pet her?"

Shinryu shook his head. "No... Not unless you wanna end up losing your hand. Last person that tried ended up with some pretty nasty scratches." He smiled down at Night, who was purring softly with his touch. _She's gonna pounce first chance she gets..._

"Lilly, sit back down. He already said not to." Amber growled, pushing Lilly away from Night, who opened her eyes at this.

_Huh... I like her. _Night thought with a giggle.

Amber smiled at the Absol and winked, making Night tilt her head in curiosity.

Shinryu glanced at Lilly, who was pouting. "Why are you so set on asking me out?" He asked calmly, staring at the red-head out of the corner of his eye.

"How did you know?!" Lilly exclaimed, her eyes wide as she stood up.

"It's plainly obvious." Shinryu said. "You wanted to sit next to me, you called me a hunk, and ever since you walked into the building you have been eying me like a piece of meat." He drank from the glass of water the waiter left after taking their orders. "Simple as that, unless you want me to go into Psychology, which you wouldn't understand."

"Hey! I can understand it!" Lilly shouted, clenching her fists.

"No you can't. If you could, that wouldn't have riled you up." Amber chided. "He was using it on you just now."

Lilly sat down and crossed her arms. "Humph."

Shinryu sighed and looked at the door just as it opened, Rose and Arthur walking in with a defeated look on their faces. "Hey you two! About time you got here." He said with a smile.

Arthur raised his arm and flipped Shinryu off, but his eyes were playful as he walked over to the table and pulled a chair from nearby. "So who are we with?" He asked, staring at Lilly with a flirtatious look.

Lilly giggled, her apparent like for Shinryu fading away as she stares at Arthur endearingly. "Hey cutie." She giggled.

"She's Lilly. That's Amber, Kirk, and Seth Jameson the Fury of Kanto." Shinryu said, pointing the trainers out individually. "This is Arthur, an old friend of mine from years ago. And the one going to the bathroom is Rose, an ex."

Arthur leaned back slowly as Lilly came closer, who was smiling widely. "Care to keep me company after we eat?" She asks in a husky voice.

"Lilly!" Amber scolded, pulling the red-head back into her seat. "Calm down. We're in a public restaurant."

"Humph." Lilly crossed her arms and turned to the side. "You always ruin my fun."

Shinryu shook his head as Rose sat down also after coming from the bathroom and as the waiter delivered their orders and took Rose and Arthur's orders. He began eating as Lilly and Rose were chatting up a storm and Arthur was talking with Seth about battle strategy.

"Hey Shinryu." Seth called, as Shinryu was chowing down on a fish patty.

"Yes?" Shinryu asked, looking up at Seth.

"I challenge you to a battle. Three on three."

Shinryu smiled to himself as he pushed his plate away. "I accept. Terms?"

"Loser wears a dress for the rest of the day." Seth joked. "Just kidding. Standard battle, substitution allowed."

Shinryu nodded. "Alright. I saw this place has a small arena over there." He stood up as the others grabbed their plates and followed the two trainers to a sectioned of area.

Seth took the red side and inserted his trainer card, opening up his record.

"Not bad. Over five-thousand wins, twenty losses." Shinryu said as he inserted his card into the blue side. His public file came up, showing his ratio.

Seth or Kirk didn't react, but the others did.

"No fucking way!" Exclaimed Arthur, his eyes widening.

Shinryu chuckled. "Nearly ten-thousand wins. Only two losses. First was the Burning Mirror of Hoenn, and next was Cyndea of Gateway."

"I will referee this match." Rose said as she walked up.

Shinryu shrugged and went to where he was supposed to stand, opposite where Seth was. He flicked a button, and the air shimmered around them as the energy displacers activated. _This is the advantage of indoor arenas. _He thought. "As Challenger, you send your Pokémon out first."

Seth nodded. "Come on out! Marxus!" He threw an Ultraball, which opened to have a Gyarados materialize.

"Good start." Shinryu said to himself. "But predictable. Kaira!" He tossed the blue and black patterned pokeball that had red and purple designs.

Kaira materialized, roaring savagely. She glared at the Gyarados, floating in the air.

_Gyarados has a higher attack than special. Therefor attacks like Earthquake, Aqua Tail, and others that emphasize that will be used mostly. Weakness: Electric attacks. _"Charge Beam!" Shinryu shouted as soon as Kaira was out. _And this one has the Moxie Ability._

"Marxus! Protect!"

A barrier of green light appeared around Gyarados and deflected the beam. "Now Hyper Beam!"

_Hmm... Interesting. Challenge Accepted. _"Kaira, take it."

Kaira braced herself as the Hyper Beam almost collided before a Shadow Ball tore through the beam as she shot it off from one of her arms. _"I won't fall that easily worm!" _Kaira shouted at the Gyarados savagely while a Charge Beam shot from her and electrocuted the Gyarados.

Gyarados fell to the ground.

"Marxus is unable to battle, Kaira wins Round 1." Pronounces Rose.

Shinryu recalled Kaira. "Go Night." Night rushed into the Arena, crouching low and growling.

"Dark types as always eh?" Seth asked with a smile. "Go Amalur!" He threw a Great Ball, which opened to reveal a Rypherior.

_Rock-Ground type, Solid Rock Ability. Super-effective hits are less effective than normal due to this. Incredibly high defense rating as a Rock type. Interesting battle here. _"Night! Iron Tail!" Night growled loudly before darting to strike Amalur with a glowing steel tail.

"Amalur, Earthquake." The Rhyperior stomped on the ground, glowing lines spreading out to raise earth underneath Night in sharp spikes.

"Detect." Night's jewel gleamed as she jumped at the last second, avoiding the spike that almost hit her and landed on top of it safely.

"Mega Punch." Amalur charged, a powerful punch cocked and ready.

"Quick Attack to get out of the way." Night blurred out of vision, jumping from spikes to get out of range as Amalur destroyed on of the spikes.

"Magnitude!" Shouted Seth, desperate to hit the agile little canine.

"Shadow Ball." Night shot a blob of darkness, which went towards Amalur faster than it could stomp the ground again.

"Protect." At the last moment, a brilliant green barrier surrounded Amalur.

_Perfect! _Thought Shinryu. "Iron Tail Full Power!" Night rushed quickly, shattering the now fragile protection barrier and hitting the Ryperior HARD upside the head.

"Shit! Dod-" Seth winced as he was too late, Amalur dropping heavily to the ground unconscious from the critical hit to Amalur's temple.

"Come Night."

Night came out of the Arena as Shinryu stared at Seth with a smile. _He's an open book. Predictable._

"Go Marai!" He shouted, throwing a Heal Ball. It opened and a strange pokemon materialized. A line of red spikes ran along its shoulders, and a black dress flowed from it. Greenish hair in a crazy anime style cascaded around it, and a single glowing crimson eye could be seen from under its hair.

***Ping!* {Galenia the Solemn Pokémon. Type: Psychic-Ghost. Galenia is an evolution of Kirlia that was recently discovered when Trema was first settled. They are normally evasive of being found and no one has ever seen a wild one up close because of this. However it is said if a Trainer can calm their eternal sorrow, great things are predicted to come their way.}**

Shinryu pulled out his Pokedex and opened it. _Galenia, a Ghost Psychic... Interesting._ He pulled out Dusk's Pokeball and threw it. Kaira appeared again, but Shinryu knew the truth.

"Marai, use Focus Beam!" Seth shouted the moment Dusk was out. Marai raised an arm and a powerful beam burst from its palm towards Dusk.

"Protect." Dusk waited behind the green wall, staring at Marai.

_Hmm... Powerful attack. Don't even know what it was. _"Kaira, use Shadow Ball."

Dusk charged a Shadow Ball and pelted it towards Galenia.

"Won't work. Galenia's After Image Ability negates Ghost Type attacks." Seth smirked. "My Kirlia evolved with a Dusk Stone, so I didn't know it existed 'til now. Counter with Focus Beam!"

Galenia had phased out of form and then rematerialized, shooting out another beam of white-silver light towards Dusk.

"Detect this time." _Use either one too often, higher fail rate. Galenia is Ghost/Psychic, however its interesting ability negates one of its two biggest weaknesses. Dusk does not have an Ability to negate that, like Mold Breaker for Cranidos. However... _"Might as well have the jig end now."

"Huh? Jig?" Asked Seth as Dusk had dodged the blow and the energy displacers protected them from it.

"Dusk, use Foul Play!"

"WHAT?!" Seth went wide eyed. "Crap! Its a Zoroark!"

Dusk had dispersed its own Illusion willingly and smacked the Galenia across its cheek, causing it to fly away and hit the ground.

"Marai!" Exclaimed Seth.

"Marai has fain-" Rose almost called before the Ghost/Psychic floated back up, glaring at the Zoroark.

"Interesting." Shinryu stood watching the pokemon stand. "Now that is a good Pokémon. You raised her well."

"Thank you. Marai, Signal Beam!"

"Dusk. Double Team!" Shinryu called as Seth called his attack.

Immediately, images of Dusk appeared everywhere and they began to move around quickly, to prevent the Galenia from seeing the real one again.

"Marai, Shadow Sphere."

_Another new move? _Shinryu thought. _Well, I better get used to it._

The Galenia chanted its name and a powerful shockwave of darkness enveloped the inside of the Arena, blocking everyone's view inside.

Shinryu and Seth both stared intently into the Arena, as the others besides Kirk were raptly watching also with Amber describing the battle to the blind Martial Artist.

The dust eventually settled, and inside the Arena... Both Pokemon lay defeated.

Rose watched intently, before Dusk twitched and then stood up slowly. "Dusk is the winner. Richard wins a Perfect Match!"

Everyone in the Restaurant clapped enthusiastically, witnessing an amazing battle between Masters.

Shinryu smiled at Seth. "Good Match. Don't worry about paying me, I honestly have too much."

Seth nodded. "I understand." He withdrew his Trainer Card, selecting 'non-pay spar' on the screen as Shinryu did the same. "I learned something about you."

"What exactly is this?" Shinryu asked, smiling.

"You're reactive to the extreme. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to win from the beginning." Seth commented. "And your style. Very interesting... Reminds me of when the Burning Mirror was alive. His battles were Legendary."

Shinryu looked away, saddened.

Seth tilted his head. "You okay?"

Shinryu nodded as he sat down with Kirk, while Arthur and Amber took their places to battle. "Yeah, you can say that. Seth Maxwell was my brother."

Seth's eyes widened. "No way! You're the brother of the Burning Mirror?!"

Shinryu nodded. "Yes, I am. I was his youngest sibling, my sister was born a few years in between us, however we were very close."

"Forgive me." Seth bowed his head. "I didn't realize when I said it."

"No, its okay. Five years have passed since _that_ day." Shinryu looked away, blinking away tears. _That man will pay if I ever find him. _He looked down at Night, who had nuzzled against his leg causing him to smile as he reached down to pet her. "So, how old are you exactly Seth?"

"Twenty one a couple weeks ago. How 'bout you?" Seth answered, recognizing Shinryu's attempt to divert the conversation and going with it.

"Twenty three." Shinryu answered simply.

"What? Damn, you look like you're only nineteen."

"Hey, watch your language kid. There are ladies around here." Snapped Kirk, hitting Seth's knee with his cane.

"So Kirk, where's your cute little Lillipup? Ashia I believe." Shinryu asked.

"Oh she's taking a nap under the table I believe."

Shinryu lifted the table cloth and smiled at the sight of the small puppy sleeping soundly. "Looks like Amber is quite the battler." Shinryu complimented towards to Seth, watching the battle between Amber's own Trufyre and Arthur's Gigalith. "Is she related to you?"

Seth nodded. "You could say that. Me, Lilly, and Amber sorta go way back. We separated a few years ago to start our Pokemon careers and suddenly we meet up again here in Trema. I think of them as sisters."

The Trufyre fell and Amber sent out a Leafeon.

"She's diverse type-wise." Shinryu stated. "Ace Trainer level too or higher, based on how she fights. Perhaps akin to a Veteran in skill."

"Quite observant." Seth smiled. "Honestly, I've never been able to defeat Amber one on one."

"Ah, I see. So perhaps I should've battled her?" Shinryu teased. "She might give me a greater challenge than you did. You were easily predictable up until you sent out that Galenia."

Seth shrugged. "Who knows. She is quite resourceful and doesn't back down no matter what. Probably because her military background."

"Well that explains her ACU. How long and what branch? I can never tell byACU anymore."

"Hmm... Five years and Army." Kirk said, after drinking from a flask. "I remember her saying that to me a while ago."

Shinryu nodded as Arthur's Gigalith fell finally to Amber's Glaceon after battling the Leafeon already.

"Amazing. Your friend is impressive. His Gigalith took out two of her pokemon before falling to her third." Seth whistled.

Shinryu shrugged. "This is the first time I have ever seen him battle before."

Arthur had sent out a pokemon that Shinryu didn't recognize: A fiery form surrounded in whipping tendrils of darkness floated in front of the Glaceon of Amber's. "Whoa." **{Spiritus the Gloomlight Pokémon. Type: Ghost-Fire. This pokemon is found only in the mountains of Trema, and is said to lure travelers into its nest where Lampents, Litwicks, and Chandelure that it resides with for some unknown reason.} **"Now that's an interesting one."

Seth looked impressed also.

_If Spiritus is located in the mountains, then how did Arthur get a hold of one? _Shinryu thought before shrugging. _Probably a gift from Grandfather. He did say he was relocated to Trema during his Coma. _"Kirk, I think I know a way to restore your eyesight."

The old blind man turned to face Shinryu. "Oh? Do tell."

"My Father is the Executive Officer of Triam Incorporated. If I contact him, I think he might be able to develop a treatment to partially or completely restore your vision. He's capable of doing anything, after all I believe he helped work on the Silph Co. Master Ball project."

"Wait, YOUR father worked on the Master Ball Red himself received from Silph Co. for defeating Team Rocket?!" Seth exclaimed.

Kirk smiled. "I would gladly accept your help. On one condition."

Shinryu cocked an eyebrow. "Sure." Amber had lost to Arthur and the two were conversing as Rose and Lilly took up a match.

"If the procedure doesn't succeed, I would like to return to Sinnoh. The Trema League be damned."

Shinryu smiled. "I'll see what I can do old man."

Kirk chuckled. "Kids."

"Grown-ups." Shinryu joked, and the two laughed.

"Hey! What am I, chopped liver?"

"Oh sorry Seth. Yes, my Father worked on the Master Ball Project that Red received around thirteen years ago." Shinryu explained. "The Master Ball Project was one of his first designs. At the time, Triam was only JUST starting out. He used to work for Silph, however my father went over to Triam only because he had more freedom in his research."

"Wow... You're an interesting person Shinryu. I never realized your family was so well connected." Seth said.

"Glad you didn't become a pompous kid like some of the others." Asked Kirk. "And I think you could most definitely give them a run for their money."

Shinryu shrugged. "I never accepted their challenges really. Didn't want to deal with the drama. I became a Trainer to get away from drama."

"Understandable." Kirk said as Rose and Lilly were on their last Pokémon, deciding only using two each apparently. It was a close fight too.

_Hmm... Rose doesn't respect her Pokémon. But they obey her without question. Why? _Shinryu wondered. "Very."

"So, seeing as everyone else had their battle, how about me and you?" Asked Kirk, smiling. "I hear you're called the Dragonsong of Hoenn."

Shinryu smirked. "Eh. Why not? I was wondering when you were going to ask anyway." He stood up and went back to the Arena. "Three on three?"

"No." Kirk said, settling into his place with help from Seth. "One on one."

Shinryu nodded. "Then lets go. Lets burn a path to victory! I choose you!" Shinryu shouted as Flare flashed out of her pokeball and crowed.

"Sounds like a Blaziken." Kirk said. "Alright Rydal! Lets show them!"

The Ultra Ball Kirk had lobbed opened and a brilliant silver-green light escaped, forming into a Gallade that stared at Flare.

The moment the pokemon were out: "Flare, Blaze Kick!" "Rydal, Psycho Cut!" Both trainers call at the same time.

Flare and Rydal moved quickly, their individual kick and slash respectively glancing off from hitting as they used their attacks to block the other's.

"Flare, Shadow Claw!" "Rydal, Aerial Ace!"

Flare's claws glimmered as shadows began to manifest around her talons and she striked Rydal just as the Gallade hit her back with a glowing blade-arm.

The super-effective hits dealt their damage, but neither Fighter seemed very much fazed as they executed their next orders.

"Flare, Mirror Move!" "Rydal, Psycho Cut!"

Flare's eyes glowed as she moved slightly faster than Rydal, remembering how the Gallade used the Aerial Ace instead of Psycho Cut because of this as Rydal hit Flare also with his Slash.

"Flare, finish it with special sequence: Burning Shadow!"

Flare crowed as her right talons burst into flames and her left became wreathed in shadows. She rushed Rydal and began punching and clawing.

Rydal collapsed, and Flare pulled back.

"Gallade is unable to battle!" Announced Arthur, who had apparently took up position as the Judge. He was about to announce Flare as winner, before she collapsed also. "Blaziken is unable to battle. Draw!"

Shinryu recalled Flare, placing her ball on the second clip of his belt.

* * *

><p>The Gateway City Pokémon Gym stood before Hyato. It was a large pagoda styled building, but made entirely of chrome and steel. Two huge ornamental statues sat on either side of the door, they depicted a massive volcano ablaze with flame and a dragon on the other side. The red chrome statues were larger than the door and quite intimidating.<p>

Hyato looked around for some sort of puzzle to get in, but none was to be found. "Hmm, what's the trick?"

Before Hyato made up his mind Lydia grabbed his attention. "Hey, Hyato. I've decided not to fight the Gym myself. You go ahead, I'll catch you up later."

"Are you sure?" Hyato asked.

"Yeah, I'll leave this to you for now." Lydia said.

"Alright, whatever you want." Hyato said. Hyato approached the door and opened it as Lydia walked away.

Hyato was suddenly blanketed in darkness. He looked around for some source of light, just as a pillar of flame shot up. The fire was bright enough for Hyato to find the stairs onto a platform. "Hello?" Hyato called.

"Welcome, Challenger, to the Gateway Pokémon Gym. Are you ready for the fight of your life?" Hyato found the speaker easily enough. She stood at the other end of the Hexagonal battleground. Torches flared up and lit the rest of the room with a soft light.

"I am." Hyato said. "I, Hyato, will defeat you and claim the Inferno Badge for myself."

"We'll see, Hyato. I am Cyndea, Leader of this Gym." Cyndea said. She threw a crimson cloak off of the battlefield, revealing her skimpy red outfit.

"Wow, I can see why you are a Fire-type Trainer." Hyato said.

"Like I haven't heard that one before." Cyndea remarked, "Now, would you like to hear the rules?"

"Three against one? I don't think so." Hyato said, "I can't play by those rules, they are unfair."

"Oh? You'd be the first to complain about them, seeing as I'm the one at the disadvantage."

"Doesn't matter. If you win then you're trick works, but if I win I'll feel like the victory was too easy." Hyato argued.

"How about a compromise?" Cyndea suggested.

"How so?"

"If I win, then the victory is mine, but if you win and you feel like it was too easy, then I'll fight you again with three Pokémon. Do we have a deal?"

Hyato thought for a minute. "Yeah, that seems fair."

"Then without further ado." Cyndea threw up her Pokéball. A fiery red light filled the stadium, causing everything to be tinted a deep shade of red. A fiery ball of light stood above the stadium, as the drought ability took effect.

***Ping* {Pokédex entry: Trufyre. Type: Fire, Trufyre is the elemental Fire spirit. Like the other elemental spirits it commands great power over its element. These Pokémon were found around temples in mountainous regions. They are quite calm despite their fiery nature.}**

"Awesome!" Hyato picked out three Pokéballs and tossed them skyward. Etheria, the Emerdjinn Pokémon, a djinni of fire and water. Draxio, the Noirignia, a Poison/Fire type with an attitude. "And finally THANATOS!" Hyato cried as his shiny Golett emerged from it's Pokéball.

"An interesting party." Cyndea remarked, "But how will it fare?"

"We'll show you! Scald! Acid Spray, Mega Punch!" Trufyre was hit with all of the attacks, the scald did significant damage, the Acid Spray weakened Trufyre's special defense, and the mega punch landed nicely. Yet Trufyre seemed unfazed

"Phoenix Fire!" Trufyre blasted Golett with flame, which also caused minor damage to Etheria and Draxio, while restoring it's own health.

"Dang! Nice move!" Hyato commented. "Now let's do this, use Fake Tears, Smokescreen, and Shadow Punch!"

Etheria cried tears of falsity, weakening Trufyre's Special Defense further. Draxio summoned a cloud of black smoke to cloud Trufyre's eyes.

The Trufyre used Dark Pulse, damaging Golett fiercely and causing him to Flinch.

_Shoot, if I lose even one Pokemon it's over! That Trufyre is dangerously powerful, Thanatos won't last much longer!_ "We need to win! Etheria, use Scald! Draxio us Helping Hand to power up Etheria. Thanatos, give it your all with Dynamicpunch!" Draxio aided Etheria in Scald, causing a powerful torrent of super-hot water to flow over Trufyre, but it wasn't enough.

"Overheat!" Cried Cyndea, Trufyre blasted Thanatos with a wave of terrible fire. Thanatos was thrown back 20 feet.

Thanatos lied still for several moments, before struggling back to it's feet. It roared with a terrible ghostly sound and charged at Trufyre, throwing an amazingly powerful punch.

But it missed.

"I win! Trufyre, use Phoenix Fire!" Trufyre started to burn with incredible force...

"No, Thanatos, Bullet Punch!" Thanatos rocketed forth with great speed, punching Trufyre into the wall.

Trufyre fainted.

"YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS! YES YES YES YES I WON!" Hyato screamed, jumping up and down like a maniac.

Cyndea walked up to Hyato, "So, you think it was a fair battle?" she asked.

Hyato grinned, "If you had even one more Pokémon I would have lost." he admitted, smiling from ear to ear.

"Well done Hyato." Cyndea said, offering her hand. Hyato shook it, and when he pulled back the Inferno Badge was in his grasp. "You are officially recognized as a winner of the Gateway City Gym challenge. I wish you luck in your travels."

"Thanks, and I look forward to battling you again for the Seal and Crest." Hyato said.

Cyndea began walking away, "I'll fight you for the Seal, when the time comes, but I am not the one who holds the Crest."

Hyato let his surprise stay inside as he left the Gym.

* * *

><p>"So, any ideas on how to get into the Emerald City?" Shinryu asks jokingly, sitting back at the table with everyone. Their initial battle mania gone, and their Pokémon healed properly at the healing kiosk located near the arena.<p>

"Nothing. I tried battering the damned door in with Beryl's Take Down. At least until Officer Jenny told me to stop it." Arthur said gloomily. "Nice joke by the way." He sighed. "The damned door didn't even dent. Whatever its made of, its strong stuff."

"Reinforced blast steel. Guessing with titanium alloy to strengthen it and Energy Disrupters to prevent pokemon moves from penetrating it." Seth said. "Very tough stuff. I've only seen a few like it. Vaults at banks, or important companies, utilize it to protect their valuables or important files."

"That makes sense. If a Gigalith can't destroy the doors, it does have Disrupters to displace the natural aura a Pokémon gives off. And blast steel of that caliber would only be destroyed by Grade Five explosives, Military Grade stuff and illegal for us to use." Shinryu said.

"Well, I don't know what you guys are chattering about," Lilly started. "But I already said that me and Amber managed to get inside without much trouble at all."

"But the question is _how_." Arthur started. "Because me and Rose tried getting in, and I know Richard here tried also if he understood what kind of doors we were up against."

Shinryu shrugged. "Cameras? Perhaps its based on whether or not Damian decides to accept a challenge at the time."

"Maybe." Amber started. "But I don't think so. I didn't see any cameras at the entrance."

"Doesn't mean anything." Shinryu sighed. "Devon developed hidden cameras that could be hidden within a grain of sand. Triam and Silph following their footsteps."

"Yeah." Seth sighed also. "Cameras are far more sophisticated now than thirteen years ago."

Amber shrugged. "Well I dunno what to say then. Me and Lilly got inside together."

"That's it!" Rose exclaimed.

"Huh?" Everyone present turned to look at Rose.

"Well, you **both **walked in **together **correct?" Rose asked Amber.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Think about it everyone. If those two entered together, but when tried alone the doors don't open at all, then obviously you need two people to get inside!" Rose smiled victoriously. "Its simple, but easily missed by those who are too confused on **how **to get into the Gym."

_Damn... I hate to admit this but it makes sense. _"You know... I actually think you're right Rose." Shinryu smiled vaguely. "So, who goes with who? Lilly and Amber exempted of course."

"Well, I'll go with Seth." Arthur said.

"Kirk?" Shinryu asked. "Who will you go with?"

Kirk sighed. "I am going to wait until someone else comes along. You younguns can have your fun challenging the gym."

_Fuuuuuck. _Shinryu thought. _That leaves me with Rose... _"Alright Kirk. Good luck."

Rose smiled as she hooks her arm with Shinryu's. "Looks like we're partners in crime." She said with a giggle. "So shall we go first?"

_Yeah... Lets get it over with. _"Sure." Shinryu pulled his arm from Rose and gave everyone else a two-fingered salute. "Well, wish us luck." Patting his leg, Night followed Shinryu out the door as he and Rose walked out of the restaurant.

_Stupid smart bitch. _Night groused.

Shinryu walked down the street quickly, thankful that they weren't very far from the gym. He checked his Pokégear, and growled under his breath. _Almost five o'clock now. Damnit. _He approached the doors and waited patiently for Rose. "So, how shall we do this?"

Rose smiled at Shinryu before she approached the right side of the door and placed her hand on it. "Come here and put your hand on the opposite side."

Shinryu wordlessly stepped up and reluctantly obeyed Rose, Night standing behind him like a sentinel. As soon as his hand was on the door, the two of them pushed the doors to the side at the same time. _Its not going to work..._

Shinryu's eyes widened as the doors slide opposite of each other, blinking as he and Rose stood there with the doors to the 'Emerald City' wide open. _Well, no time like now. _He and the blonde walked inside the gym, looking around. Heading down a set of stairs, they came to a balcony area. Two sets of stairs were leading down into a mountainous terrain within the gym, one left and one right.

"You are here for the Gym challenge correct?" Asks a masculine voice from nearby.

Shinryu turned his head and saw a short man sitting in a chair, who was staring at them with a smile on his face. "Yes. We are."

"Great. I am Damian, and if you wish to challenge me you need to race against each other. Go down these separate paths, and first to the other side gets to face me." Damian stated. "Now go!"

Shinryu ran down the left staircase without a seconds hesitation, the white/black aura of Night's ball withdrawing the feisty 'mon back inside her Pokéball. He slowed down and began climbing the wall he came to, scaling it quite easily due to his previous experiences mountain climbing. _Mount Coronet was harder than this. _He thought as he reached the top and began to climb down. As soon as he reached the bottom, Shinryu faced his next challenge: The Quaking Platforms.

"There's seven." Shinryu counted. "Shouldn't be too difficult." He jumped, applying just the barest amount of his power to seem human as he landed on the first one, swaying as he regained his balance from landing on it slightly wrong. "Whoa. Six more." He jumped again, clearing the platforms ahead of him easily enough before he slipped on the last platform, falling into the chasm. Or so it would've happened if he hadn't have kicked at the supporting beam and caught onto the rough wall just below his destination. With practiced ease that would be found with a hiker, Shinryu flipped himself up and landed on the next area.

Before him was a large stone circle. Shinryu frowned as he slowly stepped out, looking around for some sort of challenge. _Something is off- _His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden instinct to jump. He was glad he did as the ground split in half before him and widened as he crouched on the stone, staring across at the now inaccessible side of the circle. "Shit!" He thought out loud as he stared down the chasm. "How the fuck am I going to get over there now?"

Shinryu grumbled under his breath as he looked around were he was, and saw a wall with slight indents. "I'll try that." He walked over to it and clenched the wall as he climbed up it four feet from the ground. He breathed in carefully, gathering his bearings as he slowly began to sidle to his right, gripping the handholds strongly in hopes he wouldn't fall.

Shinryu felt a tremor move through the wall as the chasm began to move again, but he didn't care as he was attempting to maintain his grip. _Thank you for showing me how to climb mountains Seth. _He thought to his brother's spirit as he began to sidle again, testing each handhold or foothold just in case they were loose. Shinryu was sweating profusely, trying to cross a chasm that constantly vibrates by using the wall was taking all of his attention. He stopped as a particularly strong tremor wracked the wall, and looked to the side to see that he was halfway across now. _C'mon. Almost there. _He thought as he reached for the next handhold. As soon as he gripped it, he moved his foot down... And his foot slipped on the smooth stone.

"Crap!" Shinryu hung from the stone he was holding onto with one hand, dangling dangerously above the chasm. He looked up, and spotted the rock he was gripping was slowly sliding out of the wall. "Fuck." He pulled himself up, using his strength without caring about the consequences as he rose easily. He quickly grabbed another rock and made certain he had a good footing. With a grunt, he used the stone he was still holding onto and jumped across the rest of the chasm, rolling as he hit the other side. As he stood back up, Shinryu panted slightly from the scare he had just received. _That was too close... I don't know what would've happened if I fell down there. _He ran up the twisting path and came to the end of his challenge. He stopped at the top, and stared around.

With him, Damian stood nodding at Shinryu, with another man standing with him. Rose walked up her side, panting heavily from her challenges.

"Well, good to see you've made it Rose." Shinryu said as he turned to face Damian. "I believe I won the race."

Damian nodded and approached Shinryu. "I will accept your challenge. Kohl, you fight Rose."

The other man nodded and walked over to Rose and bowed, smiling pleasantly. "Au-chante." He kissed Rose's hand.

"Challengers to their places!" Shouted the announcer.

Damian and Kohl walked into the white boxes on their halves of the respective arenas, while Shinryu and Rose took their spots in the red boxes.

"There are special rules for the match!" The announcer spoke into his microphone. "First off, only 4 Pokémon are allowed, in order to constrain battle time. Second off, the battle will be scored. Each successful hit counts as one point, and a fainted Pokémon is worth 5 points to the trainer who caused it to faint. First to 30 points wins, or whoever has more points when one contestant has no remaining Pokémon."

_Hyato, thanks for the information. If I cause a Pokémon to faint, its my five points. _Shinryu stood sideways to Damian, watching the sturdy man out of the corner of his right eye while he was also watching him.

"I heard from Alberon how tough you are kid. I hope you show it!" Damian said. He tossed his Pokéball into the air, releasing his Nidoking into the fray.

"Just like Hyato said." Shinryu smiled. "Freya, let's do this!" Freya entered the match with a fiery look in her eye.

"Smart move, Nidoking's Rivalry will make him not want to hurt her as much." Damian said.

"Use sand-attack!" Shinryu ordered. Freya whipped up sand at Nidoking.

"Now fury attack!" Damian called, but Nidoking missed.

"Hehe, now let's do this! Freya, use Sand Tomb!" Nidoking was buried in a heap of sand. "That's one point for me!"

"Nidoking, double kick!" Nidoking kicked into Freya twice. "And two for me!" Damian boasted. But Nidoking took sustained damage from Sand Tomb and tied them at 2-2.

"Dragonbreath!" Freya let out a multicolored haze of powerful draconic energy. Nidoking rushed through the attack and smashed into Freya with Mega kick. "Now, finish it with Dragon Claw!" Freya's claws dug into Nidoking and defeated him.

"9-3 in the challenger's favor," Called the referee.

"I know how to deal with this," Damian said, "Arctosaur!" A massive deep blue dinosaur on two legs slammed onto the field. It bellowed a mighty roar and stared down at the miniscule Freya.

***PING* {This massive dinosaur scares Tyranitars out of their nests to gain territory. These powerful creatures have been known to cause hailstorms and sandstorms simultaneously.}**

"Oh crap!" Shinryu cursed.

"Icicle Spear!" The Arctosaur threw a volley of pointed icicles at Freya. Three hit before she fainted, bringing the score to 11-9 in Damian's favor.

_Now what do I do? It's an Ice type, so Kaira, Phera wont help... And it's also a Ground type so Flare might be a poor choice, but perhaps..._ "Let's go Azar!" Shinryu's Nightail entered the battlefield, a black and red foxy evolution of Vulpix. "We'll defeat him in one go! Flare Blitz!" Azar charged forth in a vortex of fire. When he slammed into the Arctosaur the vortex was a raging inferno. The massive Artosaur fell back from the intense heat, defeated just like that. The attack rebounded and struck Azar for significant damage though. Azar was almost defeated. "Perfect, that's 7 points in my favor!" Shinryu gloated.

"You figured out the recoil loophole huh? Very well done, but that won't win you this battle!" Damian withdrew Artosaur and sent out his Graniton. "Graniton, Earthquake!" Graniton reached up to slam it's hands on the ground as the sandstorm kicked in.

_Here at last huh?_ "We'll see who wins this, Endure!" Azar braced itself.

"Useless, the sandstorm will finish you off!" Damian said as the Earthquake knocked Azar down to one HP.

"Unfortunately for you I picked up Sand Shield before I came here. Azar can't be hit by the Sandstorm." The score remained at 16-12 in Shinryu's favor. "I'm sorry to do this Azar, Flare Blitz!" Azar rushed forward in a suicide run, causing minimal damage to the heavily defended elemental, but fainting from recoil.

"7 points, at the cost of your own Pokemon." Damian said.

Shinryu withdrew the injured form of Azar, "It's time to finish this! Go Night!" Night stepped into the ring. _How am I going to beat this thing?_Night immediately got injured by the sandstorm, setting the score at 23-13 in Shinryu's favor.

"Graniton, Rock Blast!"

"Night, you're faster, use Me First!" Night copied the Rock Blast and struck first, hurling large stones at her opponent. Graniton was struck four times and was defeated. "Four hits and a KO, bringing me to 32 with a victory!" Shinryu was elated.

"Well done Shinryu, you definitely earned this." Damian said. He motioned for the referee to step forward, and Shinryu was presented with the Fissure Badge.

Shinryu took the badge, nodding. "I alone didn't earn it." _My Pokémon earned this. _He thought, opening his badge case and placing it into the slot meant for the Fissure Badge.

"I won!" Shouted Rose, giggling madly as she ran over to where Shinryu was. "See?" A Fissure Badge was in her hand, glinting brightly. "And Kohl is such a flatterer." She turned to look at the man who she battled with, stars in her eyes as they shined brightly.

_Oh bother... _Shinryu thought to himself. He looked at Kohl, and smiled weakly.

"You did good kid. You were everything I expected to see. Heck, you're just as good as that one kid... Hyato I think it was."

Shinryu looked at Damian, glad to take his mind off of Rose again. "Thank you. I had fun during our match."

"Same here kid. Well, its getting late. And I have a few more challengers to investigate before we call it a day."

_Knew it. Cameras. _Shinryu thought, grasping Damian's hand to shake it. "Have a good day, and I'll be back for the Crest later."

Damian smirked, but nodded. "I expect you will."

When the two released their grip, Shinryu took a path that had just recently opened with Rose to come back to the door that bypassed the Gym Puzzle.

"Hey, how many points did you win by?" Rose asked Shinryu as they left the Gym.

Shinryu looked at Rose out of the corner of his eye. "32... to 13."

Rose's eyes widened. "What?! You did that good? How?!"

"Tactics you wouldn't understand." Shinryu said bluntly, Night holding back a giggle.

"Well, I won 30 to 28."

_Obviously Kohl took it easy on you._ Was Shinryu's thought, and he could tell when he glanced down at Night that she was thinking the same thing. "Good job." He said noncommittally.

Rose beamed, seeming to be glad that he had 'complimented' her.

_That stupid bitch has a lot to learn... Wait, who am I kidding? She is dumber than a drunken Magikarp._ Night thought as she glared at Rose. The blonde was too tunnel-visioned on Shinryu, in Night's opinion.

The Pokémon Center was within view now, and Shinryu increased his pace. It was getting dark now, and he knew that if he tried to leave for Skymarsh now he wouldn't get far before it was too dark to do anything.

The doors of the Center slid open as they detected him and Night, leaving Rose to wonder why Shinryu went as he walked up to the counter.

Shinryu knew the routine. He handed his belt of pokéballs, minus Night's, to the Nurse who took them back for a well earned rest. "Can I get a room for the night?" He asked.

"Certainly. First stay is free now, because we are getting more traffic from Trainers." Joy registered Shinryu into the computer, and smiled. "Alright, your ID is now registered to room 35. Here is your key."

Shinryu took the key wordlessly, and walked down the hallway. Coming to the room that was his, he opened the door and let Night inside. "I'll be back." He said, closing it. He looked down the hallway just in time to see Rose walking up, his eyes hardening.

"Hey, Richard." Rose began once she was standing next to him. "I know we've had our fights, and I know you don't like me... But I was wondering if you'd give me another chance?"

Shinryu blinked, staring at Rose. _I knew she wanted to talk to me, but I didn't realize that was what she was going to say. Its good to know she isn't as air headed as I originally thought. _"What brought this around?" He asked gruffly, staring at Rose. "You've created a scar in my heart that will probably never fade away when you cheated on me." His gaze was softer towards her, but not by much.

"Well... I won't deny what I did anymore." Rose had a sad look. "I have been behaving like a child, ignoring what I did. I have hurt you, yes. But I am sorry, and am asking for your forgiveness... And another chance."

"Two things, Rose." Shinryu crossed his arms, leaning against the door of his room. "One, I can forgive you for cheating on me. But I can't forget it, I respect you for finally admitting this to yourself. And two, I am in a relationship now. She isn't in Trema, but I have been in contact with her for some time." He lied. "I can't accept your request to go out at all, but I will accept your friendship." He was stern, but his voice didn't hold the hate he used to have for Rose.

Rose stared into Shinryu's eyes, the silver orbs keeping her attention. "I – I understand." She hung her head.

"Now, you need to apologize to Hyato and Lydia when you meet up with them again." Shinryu pointed out. "Hyato isn't crazy, trust me I know crazy when I see it."

Rose nodded, looking back at Shinryu. "I will if I see them again."

"Good. Now, seeing as that is out of the way... Arthur likes you. I can see it in his eyes whenever he looks at you. What are you going to do?"

"I..." Rose faltered. "I can't think of being with anyone but you, but I'll try. He is someone I can get along with."

"Don't try, just do." Shinryu turned and opened the door. "Because trying implies room for failure on purpose." He then shut the door as Rose had turned away.

"What was that all about?" Asked a soft voice from the bed.

Richard looked at Night, who had taken up her Anthro form now that she wasn't out in public. The covers were just barely over her breasts, as she laid there watching Shinryu.

"Rose asking me out again."

"Should I kill her?" Night asked, holding back a dark anger.

"No. She relented after we talked. Rose isn't as dumb as we both thought." Shinryu was taking his shirt off, tossing it down on the ground. The moment the shirt had passed over his head, his eyes were crimson. "And she won't be bothering me again."

"How?" Night looked confused.

"Like I said." Shinryu unbuttoned his pants, letting them slide down. "We talked. And it was actually kinda pleasant." He walked over to the bed, and sat down on top of it next to Night. He placed a hand on her hip, because she had turned onto her side to face him.

Night couldn't help but smile at Shinryu, his form pleasing to look at. "Mmm..." And his touch... She was addicted to it. "That feels good." She purred.

"Everything about me feels good to you." Shinryu pointed out.

Night giggled, shifting her legs. "You have no idea." She growled, pulling Shinryu on top of her to kiss him.

**(Lemon Warning)**

Shinryu kissed Night back, wrapping his arms around her waist. She opened her mouth in a moan, and his tongue darted inside.

Night placed her hands on either side of Shinryu's face, deepening the kiss while sliding her tongue along his own. Feeling mischievous, Night began to gently suck on Shinryu's tongue, eliciting a moan from the powerful Dark Trainer on top of her. When he pulled back for air, Night had a evil grin on her face as she giggled.

"Why you..." He growled, his eyes almost glowing with a primal fury. "Bitch."

Night giggled. "Why thank you." She whispered, reaching up to bite Shinryu's neck gently.

"Mmm..." Shinryu closed his eyes, feeling the pressure of Night's fangs on his neck didn't freeze him in fear or worry. He trusted her, and all he felt from it was pleasure. Just like *chomp* he was sure she felt from that.

"Ohhh!" Night moaned as Shinryu had bit the point where her shoulder and neck met. She growled softly, closing her eyes.

Beneath him, Shinryu felt her legs shift more often. A sign from his time looking up some rather... Discriminating videos online when he was younger. He knew it meant that Night was getting aroused, because she was subconsciously trying to scratch an itch she just couldn't scratch alone.

_Well... If you wanna go there, I am sure that she could. _Shinryu thought, smirking as he maintained the bite. _But I doubt she would. She's just not that kind of girl._

"Ooohhh!" Night grasped the bedsheets, clawing. She had already released Shinryu's neck, and couldn't help but moan.

Shinryu released, pulling back once again. "Got you back." He teased, smirking.

"Oh..." Night wrapped her arms around Shinryu's neck, smiling. "You tease."

Shinryu and Night rolled over, the blanket all but forgotten as she was on top of Shinryu kissing him passionately. "Mine. Mine. Mine." She growled in between each kiss.

Shinryu couldn't agree more. After so many failed relationships... He was free in a sense. Free from the bonds of human relation for the carnal pleasure of a Pokémon's. Looking up at Night, he still couldn't believe it.

Slowly, Night slid down along Shinryu, her breasts dragging along his skin tantalizingly. But he knew what she was after, and he wouldn't deny her. Not now...

She looked up at him, her face resting just above his boxer-clad waistline. Her eyes sparkled with an intensity that would make others blush with embarrassment. Shinryu tilted his head, a 'you have to ask?' look on his face.

"Point taken..." Night purred, grabbing the hem of his only article of clothing and with a yank, jerked him up and she tossed the garment into the pile with the rest of his clothes. Now nothing was between her and her goal. She slowly licked along his penis, bringing a shiver from Shinryu. Another lick, another shiver. Grabbing the base of it loosely with her hand, Night raised up a bit higher and the head of his dick vanished within her mouth.

"I... I swear... that you... are... addicted... to... doing... that." Shinryu was panting, Night's head bobbing up and down.

All he got in response was her to quicken her pace, winking at him.

_I swea- _His thought wasn't even close to finished, Shinryu's train of thought had long since deboarded of its crew and passengers and sped off into the distance. Groaning, he tightened his grip on the bed to the point where his claws began to shred the covers.

**(Lemon End)**

* * *

><p>Arthur stood on the roof of the Pokémon Center, looking out to the night display of Tectra City. A ringing from his phone drew his attention, and he answered it. "This is Agent Onyx. Initiate the raid on the road to Section Gamma at 1600." Closing the device, his eyes flash deep black before returning to their normal green.<p>

* * *

><p>"So why are we doing this?" Hyato asked.<p>

"You won right, so we have to celebrate." Lydia explained again.

"Celebrating I get... but. Why does it have to be this?" Hyato complained. The boat they were in continued down the artificial river through the city. Hyato fidgeted restlessly in his seat, unable to contain his unease.

"I don't see what the problem is, its just a boat cruise." Lydia said, disappointed that Hyato disapproved of her idea. "What's your problem with boats anyways?"

"I don't have a problem with boats..." Hyato began. They were coming up to the latter half of the cruise, which took place in a long tunnel. "That's what I have a problem with."

"What? The tunnel? But you dived into that cave in Tectra..." Lydia said.

"Caves are fine, but caves with water? No way. Bad things happen in caves with water." Hyato said.

"Your crazy, it'll be fine." Lydia said.

"You'll see, don't complain when things go wrong." Hyato insisted.

"I wish you wouldn't complain so much." Lydia said.

The boat had gone deep enough into the tunnel that only the light within illuminated the way. The light was dim, to exaggerate the murals that decorated the walls. Lydia decided to ignore Hyato's fidgeting and focus on the murals.

A large mural show a massive horde of Pokemon. They all faced one direction, as if looking at something. Further ahead was a group of people who seemed to be Pokemon, standing at the head of the horde. They faced forth to a large mass of swirling colors, which shot forth rays of both light and dark beams. At the other end of the mural was another group of Pokemon, but there was something wrong.

This group was dark, twisted, and beyond recognition. The Pokemon here looked like twisted horrors that sprang forth from nightmares. They looked to be moving toward the light, clawing and eating their way through the Pokemon around them.

"Interesting..." Lydia said, "Hey Hyato, you should..." Lydia was cut off by the sudden stopping of the boat.

"So, you've finally arrived." Said a familiar voice. A man with blue hair and a tuxedo stood on a Lapras that blocked the boat's progress. "I need to have a word with the two of you."

"Laz?" Lydia said, more in surprise than a question. "What are you doing here?"

"I was sent here to detain you, or capture you." Laz answered.

Hyato gave Lydia a look that said 'I told you so' before turning his attention to Laz. "If you think you'll be able to stop us, you're in for a startling revelation." Hyato said calmly.

"Don't think I don't know who I'm dealing with. Anyone who can out swim a Blastoise and Grapple a Machamp is out of my league... however."

"However what?" Hyato demanded.

"However, I have no intention of following orders. For now I merely want to talk." Laz finished.

"We have nothing to say to you." Hyato said.

"Is that right... Hyato Tidon." Laz's words caused Hyato to flinch.

Hyato glared, "How do you know that name?"

"The Agency I work for knows a lot, but I know even more about you." Laz said, "In fact, I have a little piece of your past right here." Laz pulled a crinkled old photo out of his pocket, but it was too dark and far away to see.

"You have no business in my past." Hyato warned, "back off." Lydia looked at Hyato with curious eyes.

"I'll back down for now, but don't think my superiors will be so lenient. They have evidence of your participation in an... unforgivable act. They tell me that they want to bring you to 'Justice' but I don't think that is their true motive." Laz sent out a Noctowl. "I have my own business with you, but it can wait." Laz gave a critical look at Lydia before withdrawing his Lapras and departing down the tunnel in the arms of his Noctowl.

After a few moments of silence the boat started again of it's own accord. Lydia looked at her thumbs, then inspected Hyato's expression. His mouth was drawn taut, and his eyes narrowed. "So, what was that all about?" Lydia asked.

Hyato snapped his head toward her, causing Lydia to freeze up under his glare. Hyato realized what he was doing and relaxed his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.." He seemed tired.

"It's okay," Lydia said, "you don't have to tell me." They sat in silence for a while, neither of them looking away from their own knees.

As the boat exited the tunnel and started on the last stretch Hyato spoke. "Every few years I travel around, looking for something. I don't know what it is, or where I'll find it, but I know it's there. I don't have any family, or a hometown. Wherever I go, no one knows who I am. I don't either. I woke up one day, and knew nothing. I was in some kind of accident, an explosion or something."

"When I got out of the hospital I didn't know where to go. No one had any idea who I was, there was only one clue..." Hyato pulled out a slightly weathered Trainer Card that was faded and had worn edges. "An I.D. With the registration number of all Zero's. I was listed in the registry, but some sort of bug kept erasing all the files they had on me. So I traveled the world and challenged the Pokemon League's."

"I thought that if I traveled enough then I'd be able to figure out who I was, or at least find someone who knew me. But no one did, and no one I met wanted anything to do with me. I was alone..."

The boat ride ended, and Hyato stopped talking. Both Hyato and Lydia departed the boat solemnly and walked wordlessly through the streets. They spoke no words, until they got to the motel they were staying at and said goodnight as they went to their separate rooms.

* * *

><p>Lydia didn't find sleep easily. Her thoughts were plagued with Hyato's story, but something darker was on the brim of her mind. "I know I've seen it before..." She whispered, before turning over to try to doze off again. As she drifted off into another uneasy sleep, images of the mural rose to the surface, and the words 'Os fillos de Arceus debe prevalecer, para protexer da Sombra antiga.'<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Well, I am done for this chappy. Interesting development... Who knows what will happen next?<strong>

**EDIT: Added Lemon Warnings**

**MAJOR EDIT: Added in Hyato's section instead of posting a brand new Chapter.  
><strong>

**EDIT: Changed the saying because of a mistranslation on my part.**


	13. No Rest for the Weary

_**So in case some of you didn't notice, I had edited in Hyato's part of Chapter 12. The reason why was because I was told by Du Mar to just post it anyway, and I did. And then he gives me the parts with Hyato later and I re-post the entire thing, since I couldn't find the already stored copy of it. I didn't mean to spam anyone's inbox, so please forgive me if that happened. ~Veloran**_

_**Don't forgive me, I made him do it. ~Du Mar**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen: No Rest for the Weary<strong>

Shinryu yawned loudly as he opened his eyes, shielding them from the waxing light of the morning sun out of reflex. Looking down, he smiled at Night sleeping with her head on his chest, breathing peacefully while snuggling closer to him unconsciously. _I still can't believe she can turn into an Anthropomorphic form. _He mused silently, gently stroking the fur on Night's back and pulling her closer at the same time, causing Night to purr happily in her slumber.

Memories of the nights before finally brought a flush to Shinryu's cheeks. _I'm still not used to being with her. The idea is logical, yes, that a Chosen and a Guardian would be mates. However... No, stop thinking like that. You know you love her deep down, and you always have. This feels right, and you won't trade it for anything in the world. _With a smile, he hugged Night to him and kissed her forehead, somehow not even waking the Absol at all.

Carefully sliding out of the bed so as to not wake her, Shinryu went to his bag and collected a set of clothing for the day and slipped quietly into the bathroom, locking the door behind him after remembering how Night tried to pounce him in the shower. Turning the knobs, Shinryu waited for the water to heat up while he looked into the mirror again. _If someone saw me like this... _He trailed a finger along the Yin-Yang symbol on his cheek. _They'd wonder what happened. Perhaps try to put me through testing to see what caused all of this. _Sighing, he stepped into the shower and let the hot water cascade down his back while closing his eyes. Eventually, he started scrubbing his hair clean and rinsing it in the miniature waterfall. He stayed under the water until it started cooling down slightly.

Turning the water off, Shinryu stepped off of the shower flat.

Soon enough, the door opened and Shinryu stepped out of the bathroom while wearing a pair of black cargo pants and a white Tee.

"You locked the door." Night pouted, frowning at Shinryu from where she was laying on the bed.

"It was necessary." Shinryu countered softly, sitting next to Night and placing his hand on her side gently. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be getting out of here on time. I want to get to Skymarsh before tonight. So come on, we need to get ready."

With a sigh, Night nodded. She quickly sat up and wrapped her arms around Shinryu before he could stand, and nuzzled her cheek against the back of his neck affectionately before letting him go with a sigh.

"I love you too." Shinryu chuckled, smiling back at Night. "But there are more important things in life we need to attend to right now."

Night couldn't help but smile also, leaning against him and relishing the contact with Shinryu, who wrapped an arm around her absentmindedly.

They stayed like this for as long as they could, a slight contented smile on Shinryu's face as he stared down at the anthropomorphic Absol who had taken to lying down with her head on his lap, eyes closed and her breathing steady.

Shinryu placed his hand on Night's cheek, making her purr with the contact as he used the pad of his thumb to rub a small circle in her fur. He was about to lean down to kiss her when his PokeNav began to ring. Picking it up, he opened the device to shut his alarm off. "Alright, we've stayed in long enough."

"But I don't want to move..." Murmured Night, looking up out of the corner of her eye at Shinryu.

"Too bad, neither do I but unless we leave now we won't get to Skymarsh before nightfall." Shinryu argued, gently pushing Night into an upright position so he could stand up.

"Oh alright..." Night grumbled, her form shimmering as she began to revert back to her feral form.

Shinryu grinned, stretching to get the kinks from his shoulders and bending backwards as a loud popping sound comes from his back.

Night growled lightly at this. "I told you that's unbecoming."

"Give me another way to relieve the stress of adventuring." Shinryu says, standing up straight with a smirk. He picked up his bag, shrugging it into a comfortable position as he opened the door and the two walked out of their room. They walked down the steps towards the lobby of the PokeCenter, where Arthur and Rose happened to be waiting as well.

"There you are sleepyhead." Arthur joked, a grin on his face. "I was wondering if I'd have to come up there and drag you out of bed myself."

_Hmm... And perhaps risk seeing Night lying on the bed in my place while I am in the shower? Perhaps not. _"I was in a shower. The water was nice and warm, and I just didn't want to leave it." Shinryu countered without a hitch, walking up to the duo with a grin on his face. "So, we leave right away? There is a thirty minute buffer time from what I know of distances and the walking pace I tend to set after reading the map."

"Actually," Rose started, hooking her arm around Arthur's arm and bringing a blush to the Trainer. "I was thinking we could go get something to eat before we set off. If you don't mind?"

"Sure, sure." Shinryu's grin was still present. He walked up to Arthur and genially punched the man's shoulder lightly. "Good job, now I don't have to deal with her." He winked at Rose, who glared at him while Night growled an affirmative.

"Whatever man. She's better than you think." Arthur grinned, wrapping his arm around Rose's waist as they left the PokeCenter with Shinryu leading the way.

"Mhmm... Sure. And I was the one who dated her before." Was Shinryu's comment over his shoulder, a smirk on his face.

"Umm... Speaking of which. You don't min-" Started Arthur.

Shinryu started laughing. "Certainly. I don't mind at all, you're in the clear man." He said, cutting Arthur off before he could finish his question. He smiled, looking around for a good place to have breakfast at. Spotting a place, he led the group inside and they found a table to sit at rather quickly.

After making their orders, not letting the waitress even leave a menu, Shinryu looked across at Arthur and Rose where they were sitting. His eyes narrowed slightly, catching on to the hesitance that Arthur was displaying with being close to Rose even though it was slim. _The hell? What reason does he have to hesitate? I already gave him the all clear._

Arthur leaned down to pet Night, who was allowed to lay down at the foot of the table as long as she stayed there. She let out a soft purr, closing her eyes and just relaxing.

_She doesn't mind him at all. _Shinryu thought with a smile, pushing his thoughts back as he looked over to see the waitress bringing their orders. He had ordered a large chili-cheese omelet and hash browns and started digging into the confection the moment the waitress walked away.

The entire meal was silent, as all three of them just ate as quickly as they could without choking on their food. After they each paid for their respective meals, they stood up and left the restaurant and began making their way South for Skymarsh City.\

* * *

><p>The bus rolled to a stop at the station, waking Hyato with a jerk as he slammed face first into the seat in front of him. He rubbed his nose to numb the pain as Lydia giggled at the display. "It's not as funny for me." Hyato said.<p>

"It doesn't need to be," Lydia said as she took her things out from underneath the seat. Hyato followed, shambling slowly off the bus's cramped aisle. As they stepped down into the bright noon light Hyato stretched his arms wide and cheered to the sky.

Lydia looked at him with a puzzled expression. Hyato smiled and said, "I'm so glad, you know. To be off the bus." Hyato strode toward the exit gate to the station with Lydia in tow.

A large plateau rose up from a bed of thick marshland. Large hexagon shaped glass plates many yards thick stretch out from the natural rocky edge of the plateau on all sides. Supporting the extended plates stand huge steel columns that seem to go underground. Massive elegant glass buildings dot the top of the plateau and the wings around it, making up the city of Skymarsh. Hyato stood transfixed at the skyline as Lydia stood in line for a map of the town at a nearby kiosk.

The line at the kiosk was long, so Hyato wandered off to pass the time. A stray Glameow ran near, pausing to groom it's paw. "Where are you off to little kitty?" Hyato asked, leaning over to pet the Glameow. The Glameow used Scratch, and Hyato's hand was knocked away. "Hey, that's rude." Hyato said, but the Glameow ran off. Hyato gave chase, as the Glameow darted into an alleyway.

Hyato chased the Catty Pokemon through the alley, down the street, over a fence, through a courtyard, and into another street before it got away. Hyato came to a stop. "Hmm. It got away. Oh well, I may as well get back to Lydia." Hyato turned around, looking at the unfamiliar view. He looked around for something he recognized. "Well... Crap."The skyscrapers of the city rose high above Hyato on all sides. For a big city, there weren't many people around.

Hyato walked through the streets, hoping to find something he recognized, or at least someone he could talk to. Before long he arrived at a massive central Plaza. A large cube with tons of screen sat in the center of the Plaza, displaying information of all kinds. There were news channels, pokemon highlights, and shopping deals flashing all over the screen. "You know, they say Skymarsh Central is the biggest shopping center in the region." Hyato turned to see Lydia approach, holding out Hyato's bag for him to take.

"Biggest shoppng center in the area?" Hyato said as he donned his backpack. "Then why is there no one around?" They both looked around. The massive shopping center could fit at least a few thousand people, yet they were alone.

"Let's go find out." Lydia said after a minute of silence.

"Do we have to?" Hyato complained. "I just wanna go fight the Gym."

"Yes, we need to understand this. Skymarsh is supposed to be the second biggest attraction this side of the Wall." Lydia said, taking Hyato's wrist and dragging him along the nearest main road.

The roads were bare, not a single person was walking on them. Occasionally they passed another Trainer who had taken the bus, but they were just as confused as Hyato and Lydia. After a long time searching, they arrived before a massive skyscraper that stood taller than the rest.

"Skymarsh Pokemon Gym." Hyato said, reading the large sign on the front, "Well, here we are."

"Maybe the Gym Leader can tell us where everyone is." Lydia said, opening the door and stepping inside.

The interior room looked like the lobby of a large Hotel. Sitting at the desk was a man wearing a white suit. He looked up and facepalmed at the sight of Hyato and Lydia. "Excuse me." Lydia said, "Can you tell us what's going on outside?"

The man breathed a heavy sigh and straightened his mustache. "A few days ago a group of criminals came through and trashed multiple city blocks. Alot of people are scared to go outside, and half the town has already left to Auburn and Gateway."

"Team Chaos." Hyato said. "Bastards."

"That's right, they were called Team Chaos, I believe." The man behind the counter confirmed.

"So everyone is just staying home then?" Lydia said, "Well that can't be good."

"The people want to be certain that the threat of Team Chaos is taken care of before they return to normal." The man said, "That's why Skylar left to take care of them."

"Wait, so the gym Leader isn't here?!" Hyato exclaimed, slamming his hands on the counter.

"No, and he left suddenly this morning, so the substitute is unfortunately unable to arrive today. The Gym is closed." The man said.

"Where did he go?" Hyato asked, more of a demand than a question.

"A rumor that the Temple in the Skymarsh is a base for Team Chaos, is what he followed."

"Thank you." Hyato walked out of the building in a rush, Lydia following closely.

Lydia moved in front of Hyato. "We don't need to go after Skylar. He's a Gym Leader, he can handle himself."

"But, there's no point in not chasing him." Hyato said, "We're here to fight the Gym, and we need him. So if I go and get him, then we can fight the Gym sooner."

"Well, I'm not going. I don't want to have to go through another swamp." Lydia said.

"I understand." Hyato said, smiling. "I'll get him myself." Hyato continued on, Lydia followed. Before long they stood at the edge of the city, atop one of the massive artificial plates. A massive iron cable ran down into the swamp below, connected to a tower at the bottom. Hyato and Lydia were approached by a man when they reached the base of the cable tower.

"You looking to ride the Zipline?" He asked.

"Yeah, how much is it?" Hyato said.

"It's no charge. The Ziplines are run by the city." The man opened a steel chest and pulled out what looked like a harness and bike handles. Hyato donned the harness and was taken to the cable

"Well, time to go." Hyato said, looking back for a moment. Then he dropped off the side of the city, zipping towards the swamp at high speeds.

* * *

><p>Shinryu walked ahead of the group, heading down the path with Rose and Arthur in tow behind him. <em>I really need to talk with Azar about what I had him do. <em>He thought suddenly, frowning slightly. His pace faltered slightly, before it returned to normal. _Later, I definitely will later. _He looked down at his PokéNav as he pulled it out.

Looking down at Night, Shinryu smiled as she kept pace with him easily enough. She looked up at him, her crimson eyes shining as they shared a look before Shinryu heard someone approaching from behind them, the sound of a bike's tires easily picked up by his heightened hearing. He looked over his shoulder automatically, seeing Amber biking towards them fairly quickly.

_Huh. I didn't realize that she was on the way to Skymarsh also. Then again, it is only a matter of deducing what Badges that she would need._ Shinryu thought as she rode up towards him. He saw her grin, and couldn't help but grin in return. "Hey." He said nonchalantly, giving her a two-fingered salute.

"Hey. Mind if I tag along? Lilly, Seth, and Kirk decided to head to Auburn City but I already got the badge from there." Amber asked towards Shinryu.

Shinryu looked at Night, Rose, and Arthur. However, he noticed that Arthur was gone. "Umm... Sure. Hey Rose, where did Arthur go?"

Rose looked back as well, her eyebrow raised in confusion as even Night did a doubletake as to where the wayward trainer could've gone. "I have no clue... He was just behind me..."

Shinryu looked worried then. "Ah crap... We need to find him before-"

"I'm just as worried about him as well Richard," Rose said, cutting Shinryu off. "However, we need to continue on our way to Skymarsh before it gets dark. Didn't you say that you wanted to get there before then?"

Shinryu nodded slowly. "Yeah, I was the one who said that wasn't I?" He sighed deeply. "Well, if he fell behind he can always backtrack to Tectra and take the bus towards Skymarsh."

"Well, I am sure he'll be okay." Amber said, folding up her bike and storing it away as the group of three humans and Absol started walking again. "He is a powerful Trainer after all from when we faced each other in the Cafe."

Shinryu nodded. "Yeah, you're right I guess. He isn't truly alone after all."

"Why are you so worried about him?" Amber asked curiously.

"Well... It's a long story." Shinryu countered, feeling slightly nervous. Night stared up at him, her eyes showing some concern at the tone in his voice.

"I believe we have a long walk ahead of us after all." Amber pointed out.

"Hey! Why am I being left out!"

Shinryu and Amber looked over at Rose, who exclaimed that rather loudly. They looked at each other and laughed. "Well, you aren't very active in the conversation anyway Rose." Shinryu pointed out as he avoided a rock that was jutting up from the ground that could be capable of tripping him.

Rose grimaced, but went quiet with that.

"So," Amber started, looking over at Shinryu. "What happened?"

"I had just turned twelve when I went to Littleroot Town from my hometown of Fortree. Me and a friend were waiting in line for the doors of the Pokemon lab there to open so we could get our starter pokemon. While me and Arthur were conversing as to what starter we wanted, a kid mocked us and attacked without warning. He crushed my ribs, and hit Arthur hard enough to knock him into a coma." Shinryu started. "I awoke to find out that he was not looking good in terms of waking up anytime soon, but me and his parents firmly believed he would eventually recover and always pestered those who told them to pull the plug. That is the long story short."

"Did they ever catch the kid who did that?" Amber asked softly.

"No. They didn't. The strange thing is when I returned to the Lab a few years later we met again, and we fought. I found out he knew Martial Arts, and at the time I was being taught them as well so I was able to keep up with him. Up until my ribs, which hadn't healed fully, started acting up. He left me for dead out in the forest, and if it weren't for the help of some friendly pokemon I wouldn't be here at all."

"What kind of friendly pokemon?" Amber inquired curiously.

"A pack of Mightyena." Was Shinryu's answer. "A week later I woke up after blacking out." He started up again, continuing his story. "I was brought home by my brother, and turns out the next day was my sixteenth birthday. Heh... At first, I thought it was the worst day of my life. However..." He glanced down at Night who stared back up at him at the same time. "If it weren't for what happened to cause me to think that I don't think I would've encountered an Absol in need of help, that let me capture her without a fight after healing the wound on her side."

Amber nodded, as Night slightly glared at Shinryu from the way he said that. "So that is why she seems so calm around you. You've earned her trust correct?"

Shinryu chuckled. "You have no idea. But yeah, she trusts me and I trust her, along with every single Pokemon on my team."

Amber smiled. "That is good. Trust is a major key to being a successful trainer. Right Mr. Dragonsong?" She grinned wryly with that.

"Heheh." Was the only response Shinryu put forth.

After which, the group of three humans and one Absol continue walking in silence. But Night cannot help but wonder something as she walked...

_There is something about Amber that feels familiar. Is she another Chosen as well?_

(A while later...)

"Hey!" Amber called out from ahead, since she had gone ahead to keep a 'lookout' as she put it towards Shinryu when he asked what she was doing.

"What?!" Shinryu called up towards her.

"There is a small park up ahead where we can rest." Amber answered as they got level with her. "We can take about a half hour break and still make it into Skymarsh by dark."

Shinryu nodded as Amber started walking next to him again, Rose lagging behind and watching the two curiously. "I guess a small break wouldn't hurt." He responded. "And we can give our Pokémon a small break away from their Pokéballs while we are there."

"Oh of course." Amber says with a smile. "They need to be out in the open in my opinion, but most humans freak out if you bring one into a hotel."

Shinryu glanced at Amber from the corner of his eye as they turned onto the trail that led towards Amerdeen Park. _Interesting._

"What?" Amber asked innocently when she caught his glance, staring at him from the side as Shinryu chuckled.

"Nothing." He said after a while, when she gave him a piercing glare. Once they came to the park proper, Shinryu tossed his Pokéballs into the air. "Come on out guys!" He shouted.

Freya, Phera, Kaira, Dusk, Syn, Flare, Azar, Taina, and Umbrax all appeared in a shower of multicolored lights. Everyone looked around their surroundings curiously.

"Alright guys!" Shinryu announced to them, assuming a commanding air. All of his Pokémon snapped to attention and stared at him with rapt attention. "I want you all to help train the two newest members of our team, Taina and Umbrax, so they aren't at a disadvantage here in Trema! You all know what to do!"

Shinryu's team exclaimed their affirmatives easily, however Azar kept staring at him as they moved off with the two baby Pokémon to begin training them.

Amber and Rose had moved off to their own spots of the mostly empty park as Azar walks closer to Shinryu.

Shinryu stared down at the vulpine Pokémon for a short amount of time before walking towards the other end of the park. He kept walking once they reached the edge, and stepped into the forest a small ways before turning to Azar.

"Alright, I owe you an apology." Shinryu started softly, kneeling down to stare Azar in the eyes. He flinched somewhat at the anger he saw in them. But he hardened his resolve. "I shouldn't have had you take that hit the way you did so I could win something as trivial as a Badge."

"No you shouldn't have!" Azar pretty much yelled. "I thought you were different from that person you rescued me from! And you turned around and DID EXACTLY WHAT **HE **DID! **YOU USED **_**ME!**_"

Shinryu lowered his gaze from Azar, sitting on the ground and slumping slightly. _He's right... I did use him to win... _Wordlessly, Shinryu unclasped Azar's Pokéball from his belt. He raised it up to Azar's eye level, still in its shrunken form. "You're right Azar... I used you, and I shouldn't have." He set the Pokéball down on the ground in between them slowly. "So if you want to be released, just say so, and I'll let you go. If you feel like giving me another chance... I promise I won't do that ever again." With that, he leaned back against the tree that was behind him and closed his eyes after checking his PokeNav's watch.

Moments turn to minutes, and minutes pass by slowly for Shinryu. His ever calculating mind counted of the seconds as they ticked down repeatedly. He knew only twenty minutes had passed since they stopped at the park, he knew that out of those twenty he spent two explaining to Azar his own choices... But to him he also knew it felt like every minute was an hour, an excruciatingly painful hour.

"I'll give you another chance. But only one more."

Shinryu let out the breath he didn't know he was holding after Azar started speaking, slowly. He opened his eyes and stared at the dark crimson fox silently. Azar met his eyes as well, before slowly nodding once to Shinryu in confirmation to his questioning gaze. "Thank you." Shinryu whispered softly.

Azar nodded again, remaining silent as Amber called out.

"Hey Shinryu! It's almost time to go! Where are you?!"

"Well... Great talk." Shinryu muttered, standing up slowly after picking up Azar's Pokéball.

"I suppose. But I don't know why you can understand me." Azar said before Shinryu recalled him.

"I'll have to let the others know to tell him exactly why." Shinryu speculated under his breath as Amber's voice grew louder.

"Shinryu!" She called loudly, causing the Chosen Sentinel to wince as his sensitive hearing rung bells inside of his head.

"I'm coming!" Shinryu called back, stepping from the woods and walking right into Amber. "Oof!"

He tumbled forwards, his foot choosing to trip at that exact moment as he fell forward. Shinryu blinked his eyes open, having snapped them shut out of reflex.

"Well I'm flattered." Amber said dryly, bringing his attention to reality.

Shinryu looked up at the Ace Trainer, his face turning bright crimson as he quickly jumped up from his position between her legs. _Ah shit! Ah shit! Ah shit! _He thought to himself as he held his hand down to Amber to help her back up. He mentally blocked out what just happened and quickly regained control over the reaction that caused the reddening of his cheeks with a few mild meditative breaths.

"So anyway," Amber started, turning around to start walking back towards the path to Skymarsh City. "It's almost time to go. You said so yourself after all that you wanted to get there before dark."

"That I did." Shinryu said, completely void of emotion as the two walked towards Rose and the rest of his team who just came into view. "Let's not speak of that?" He muttered softly.

"Speak of what?" Amber asked in return to his question.

"I think I forgot." Shinryu answered tactfully before recalling his Pokémon as Rose stared clueless at the both of them, and Night tilted her head in curiosity.

* * *

><p>"Three humans and one Absol are traveling down the path." Reported a man wearing a black mask and a high-tech looking suit, peering through a pair of military high-powered binoculars towards a group of people. His voice was soft, uncertain in a way and with a light hint of unlost innocence.<p>

"Is the target confirmed?" Asked another man wearing a similar suit. His voice was rough and tenure, nearly baritone and held an edge that could cut steel.

"Affirmative." Stated a woman this time. She was sitting next to the man who reported the sighting. "Subject has white hair, lightly tan skin, and has the very same facial structure as our quarry. The Absol is also sticking closer to his side more often than the other humans, so that furthers our belief that he is the one we are to capture." She was calm, relaxed. Confident that she would get her prey.

"Quit your yapping you fools!" Snapped a fourth man, sitting high up in a tree. His face was partially exposed, blue eyes staring into the distance where the path was while the rest of him was hidden in shadow. "We don't want the Absol to know something is up. Remember, they have an uncanny ability to sense danger or disaster." His voice was strong, powerful and a deep bass that seemed strained somewhat to the trained ear. He growled his orders in a low tone as well, meant to carry a short ways in what a whisper couldn't do.

The three others of his group shut up and grew quiet as the first member of the team continued to peer through his binoculars at the fast approaching group of trainers.

"_Soon... We will attack on my command._" Stated a fifth voice within small communicators on each of the personnel staging the assault. "_Await my signal..._"

And the group seemed to blend into the very trees and foliage they were hidden behind.

(With Shinryu)

Shinryu sighed as his stomach growled near-silently to the human ear. He stared up at the sky, concentrating away from his hunger as he watched the clouds pass by while he and the others were walking.

The Hoenn native closed his eyes, sighing as he listened to the sounds of nature around him. _Hunger is what you get for insisting on continuing without stopping again. _He grumbled.

"Hey Shinryu." Asked Rose from behind him, keeping in step with his stride surprisingly. "When will we stop and eat?"

Shinryu smiled slightly. _For once we were thinking of the same thing. Ha... That's rich. _"Well, we can stop here I guess." He opened his eyes and looked around the large clearing they had come to on the side of the road. _How I do this, I have no clue. Intuition?_

"Woo, I'm starving!" Amber exclaimed as she hopped off the dirt road and into the clearing, finding a good spot to sit down and dig into her bag while Rose leisurely walked over as well.

Shinryu on the other hand was suddenly looking around everywhere, along with Night, on high alert. _What was that? _He wondered immediately, his senses picking up something that he couldn't see. He turned away from the two humans, who were getting themselves busy eating their already prepared meals, and scanned the woods, releasing some of his true power centered on his eyes.

Night was looking in the same direction as well. And she was growling darkly.

Shinryu didn't see anything at first, but as he scanned over again he caught a brief flash of movement before his reflexes activated on pure martial instinct.

He jumped backwards, avoiding a net that had shot from his left side. Flipping around in midair, Shinryu landed in a battle-ready crouch as four beings formed into existence wearing SpecOps uniforms without any identifying markers.

"Shinryu/Richard!" Both Amber and Rose called out, getting up quickly and pulling out their pokeballs as fast as they could from their respective bags.

"Tsk tsk. Loxa, you missed your prey." Growled the man to Shinryu's left. His voice held quite a bit of power to it, causing Shinryu to stare at him immediately. "You should aim better next time."

"Oh shut up Rho!" Snapped the woman, pulling out a katana. She charged at Shinryu, hoping to get a swing in at his leg and hamstring him so that he could be easier to capture. But she didn't expect something...

Shinryu snapped his right arm towards her, spinning on several patches of ground as he maneuvered his body to avoid both the strike to his leg and grab her arm, pinning it behind her as he stood behind the one known as Loxa within seconds. "Nch. Gotta be quicker hun." Shinryu growled darkly, his hair hanging in front of his eyes and hiding that they were now completely crimson with black irises.

Rho smirked, though his face was hidden by a mask as he stared at Shinryu. "Not bad. I have to admit, I expected no less from one who provided Hunter J with such a harsh reality that she cannot get everyone she targets. Daemos, Rhal! Take those girls out of the picture. Nonlethal force only." He ordered quickly.

The two other men who were simply standing nearby vanished in a blur of movement. They appeared behind Amber and Rose respectively, hitting them in the back of their necks with a chop and sending them to the ground unconscious before they could have managed to get their pokeballs from their bags.

Shinryu glanced over at the unconscious girls as he smirked slightly. "Well then." He spun quickly, throwing Loxa over his shoulder as he Judo-threw her to the ground before he charged at Rho, who's smirk vanished instantly as he dodged a ferocious punch aimed at his head. "Four versus one doesn't seem that fair now does it?" Shinryu asked as he aimed a kick in the direction Rho dodged in, catching him off-guard from the unexpected move.

"Agh!" He exclaimed, doubling over as the kick caught him in the solar plexus while Daemos ran at Shinryu.

Shinryu swept his leg as he bent down to sweep Daemos's legs out from underneath him and sending the man backwards onto his ass while he maneuvered back into a standing position.

Loxa had already gotten up as he was doing so, and had tossed a few shuriken at the Trainer who turned and simply caught each one in between his fingers. "Tsk tsk." He said.

Rhal was busy trying to keep away from Night, who was unleashing hell on the human for even trying to come near her. "Holy fuck!" He shouted, his left arm being bit by Night's fangs deeply.

Shinryu remained calm, surrounded by the three other members of the group attacking them. His hands were in his pockets, an intentional psychological gesture saying that they weren't good enough for him to use his full strength.

"Daemos, go help Rhal. Loxa, take the target out. Orders be damned, use lethal force if you have to but try to keep him alive." Ordered Rho.

Shinryu grinned slightly, shifting his gaze to Loxa as Daemos started rushing towards Rhal. "I don't think so." He said, flicking his wrist backwards towards the man as the shuriken he had caught flew towards him.

"GAH!" The man shouted loudly in pain as he collapsed to the ground, the shuriken sticking from both his legs and his lower back.

"Down to three. Two if Rhal doesn't get any help." Shinryu stated calmly, watching Loxa as Rho slowly and steadily walked up behind Shinryu.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Loxa shouted, throwing a kunai at Shinryu who merely tilted his body to spin on the spot, grabbing the kunai and placing it at the throat of Rho who immediately stopped in his tracks.

"Well well. I was just going to throw you over my shoulder at her, but I have a better ide-"

"Should have dropped it buddy." Loxa stated with a victorious air. She pressed a button on her wrist, a *beep* being heard from the bracer she wore.

Shinryu immediately howled in pain, electricity arcing from his body. "YOU BITCH!" He shouted, causing Rho and Loxa to back away in surprise.

"Holy crap!" They both exclaimed. "He shouldn't be able to talk at all!"

Shinryu growled, the electric current flowing through his body being slowly mitigated by his body's new abilities as he slowly began to turn towards Loxa. "Surprise." He growled, his eyes darkening as he lowered his head and then tossed the kunai at her with his full strength.

The deadly knife buried into her right shoulder. And then she screamed in pain as the electricity that was running through Shinryu just moments before began to disable her nervous system enough to prevent movement.

"Y-y-you're not human!" Rho said, backing away from Shinryu.

Shinryu didn't respond, turning around to start walking towards Rho.

"That's far enough big guy." Stated a new voice from nearby.

Shinryu stopped walking and turned to look in the direction the voice came from. "Oh really?"

Now standing at the edge of the woods was a man wearing similar tech-suits as the four members of the team. "Well done. I have to admit, you made Team Alpha look like wimps." He said, pointing his gun at Shinryu as he began walking towards him. His mask covered his face and artificially altered his voice.

_Electronic alteration... Respirator function. Triple filtering too from the sounds of the vocal algorithm. _Shinryu thought as he stared at the man. Not moving as his mind flashed back to many years ago when he first saw a gun pointed at him before returning to the present. "Really now? I was under the impression that they were simply Hunters working together. But now I see that Team dynamic."

"You're indeed a sharp one Richard Maxwell, aka Shinryu the Dragonsong. We pulled your files, and your IQ is off the charts compared to most Trainers or even Champions for that matter. Why haven't you settled into something more fitting for your mental ability?" The new man asked, stopping well within Shinryu's threat range should he want to disarm him... But he didn't know that.

"My IQ is a product of a flawed mental analysis by the Pokemon College." Shinryu said idly. "In reality, IQ is only used to determine how well you'd do in College. It has nothing to do with how smart you are or how powerful your imagination really is, which is what truly matters. Without an imagination how could most technology be as it is? Most things are stolen anyways. The Master Ball is considered property of Silph Co., for example. My father, Assimir Maxwell, was one of the original founders of the project in concordance with Triam Inc. They stole his final plans when he left them and used those to get the Master Ball project in their name."

"Well well. Not a bad philosophy, nor bad information to blackmail Silph with. But you fail to realize that you are in danger right now. Why aren't you scared to have a .45 caliber Dragonite Revolver pointed at your face?" The man asked, genuinely curious. "I know you have great fighting skill. But even you couldn't dodge a bullet."

Shinryu shrugged. "Death is inevitable. It is something that people fear because they think there is nothing left for them. I've made my peace years ago with the death of someone very important to me, plain and simple. And in reference to your claim that I couldn't dodge a bullet..." He grinned slowly. "You wouldn't shoot me. I'm too important if you came out to deal with me. Obviously YOU are more skilled than these morons, otherwise Rho here wouldn't be meekly bowing behind me." He jerked his hand over his shoulder to indicate the bowing Rho who was being rather servitive towards the newcomer.

"Hey! This is the Great Agent Onyx! He is a Legend in our Agency, and has probably seen more-Mmph!" Shinryu had reached back, silencing Rho by covering his mouth and lifting him into the air behind him without even looking back at him.

"I'll have to thank you for that." The now indicated Onyx said, staring at Rho through his sights. "He is quite annoying."

"That isn't why I did it." Shinryu said calmly, a slowly quickening pulse of energy forming in his left hand that wasn't raised up and barely out of Onyx's sight. A Shadow Ball began forming in his hand, and Rho noticed it to start struggling to escape Shinryu's iron-grip in order to warn his boss.

"You're pretty strong to be able to hold someone who weighs 300 pounds of pure muscle for as long as you are, even if they are struggling. What is your secret? Steroids?"

Shinryu chuckled. "No. Steroids would actually not do a thing for me at all. Night, Shadow Ball!"

Night opened her maw as best as she could and sent her attack towards Shinryu who had released his Shadow Ball towards hers. They collided, exploding in a burst of energy that kicked up a dirt-cloud, surrounding both Shinryu and Rho in the vortex of it.

"Clever. But," Onyx fired a shot into the darkest cluster of the dirt-cloud. "You didn't move."

As the dust cleared away, Rho stood panting in the center of a small crater. He looked up at Onyx, blood trailing down his chin with a glazed look in his eyes. "Why?" He asked weakly, his chest heaving with pain as crimson liquid poured from a decent sized hole in his chest. A few more breaths were taken before he falls over in shock.

"What?!" Onyx exclaimed, looking around. "How could he have moved so quickly?!"

"Behind **YOU!**"

"Huh?" Onyx turned around in seemingly slow motion, just in time to see Shinryu's foot connect with his jaw and the force of it send him flying into the air.

Shinryu followed through with his attack, pushing his now touching wrists with palms outward to hit Onyx in the chest hard as he came down and sending him backwards while in mid-air. He didn't stop there, as Onyx landed on the ground he had jumped on top of him, landing over the Agent and starting to put him into an armbar. "You're a fool Onyx! I was trained in Martial Arts long before you ever joined your small Agency you work for. I can tell by your voice and stance you are younger than I am despite the fact it is filtered by a three-stage electronic vocal alteration. One more stage and I wouldn't figure tha-" He stopped as he was lifted into the air by Onyx.

"Shut up!" The Agent growled, swinging Shinryu down on his other side and crashing him into the dirt hard.

"Gah!" Shinryu exclaimed at the hit, letting him go as he rolled away. "Oww! That one actually hurt. You are stronger than you let on, or is that the armor?" He asked, jumping back up into a stance.

Onyx stood back up as well, entering a calm stance with one arm overhead and his feet spread by three paces. "Tch... No, that is all me!" He shouted, rushing towards Shinryu who enacted another of his faithful spins by clipping Onyx's foot with his own and twirling around him.

Shinryu grabbed the Agent around his torso, pinning his arms and with a grunt he heaved him over by twisting his torso to toss Onyx onto the ground where he rolled as well to get away and back into position.

"Gah..." He pressed his left hand to the side of his helmet. "This is Agent Onyx! We have been overrun. Requesting evac protocol!"

"Running so soon?" Shinryu asked, walking towards Onyx who threw a pellet at the ground and a cloud of foul-smelling black smoke surrounded him. Clouds popped up around his teammates who were still living as well and when the smoke cleared they were all gone.

Shinryu's eyebrow ticked, before he sighed and sat down on the ground. "Damnit... I was hoping to figure out who he was." The young trainer sighed again as Night walked over to him with a slight limp. "You okay girl?" He asked softly, petting her side as she collapsed against him and rested her head in his lap.

"Exhausted..." She groaned, looking up at him forlornly. "How about you? You alright?"

Shinryu nodded, smiling somewhat at her. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Night smiled back up at him, before her nose caught the scent of blood. "No, you aren't!" She exclaimed, looking up at him with fear.

"It's only a scratch." Shinryu said as he looked at his arm, but frowned at what he saw. "Guess not..." He noticed that his arm had a decent sized gouge in it, a large amount of flesh torn away from a high-caliber weapon. "Damn, that guy actually shot me when I thought he didn't." He went to stand up, but swayed and sat back down. "I'm feeling lightheaded..."

Night looked panicked as Shinryu sat back down, looking around for his bag. She spotted it and vanished in a blur, appearing next to it and digging through it looking for something.

_She's looking for the First Aid Kit. _Shinryu thought as he covered the wound with his hand, wincing slightly as his nerves burned. _Gah... Holy shit. What was in that bullet? _He wondered, watching as Night kept digging through his bag without changing into her anthro form to make it easier.

Night eventually found the kit, grabbing it with her teeth and rushing back over towards Shinryu who watched her carefully while she tried to open it.

Shinryu then decided to reach out and take the kit, opening it with one hand easily and lifting the lid. Grabbing the disinfectant spray, he spritzed his arm and hissed slightly in pain but mostly ignored it while he set it down and grabbed a roll of bandages next. He spent a while carefully rolling the bandage around his arm, before having Night carefully slash the excess off where he then sealed the bandage to his arm with a clip.

Night still looked worried. "Shinryu, we need to get you to the Hospital soon."

"I know. The bullet is still in my arm, and I don't know if it clipped an artery."

Amber groaned before slowly picking herself up off of the ground. "Oh my head... What happened?"

Shinryu looked up at Amber from where he sat. "We got ambushed by people. Are you okay? The one who knocked you and Rose out hit you two pretty hard."

Amber nods, waving her hand as she shakes her head. "I'm fine, really." She shakily stands up after saying this to look around.

Rose stands as well. "I'm okay, but I have a headache." She gasps when she sees Shinryu working on bandaging up his arm. "Oh Arceus! Are you okay?!"

Shinryu chuckles. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got grazed by a knife, merely need to patch it up and make sure it heals right." He says as he finishes the work and stands up effortlessly. "Anyways, lets get on to Skymarsh City before nightfall."

Amber and Rose nod firmly as Night sticks close to Shinryu while they all walk towards their destination, the bloody crater that housed the body of Rho long forgotten and ignored... As a figure appears and vanishes with the body.

* * *

><p><strong>So sorry for the delays. Here is the next Chappy, but I do have to admit delays will be inevitable for more updates. ~Veloran<strong>


	14. A Hitch in the Plan

**Chapter Fourteen: A Hitch in the Plan**

* * *

><p>Shinryu sighed as he walked down the road, well hobbled. His arm was around Amber's shoulder as she helped him move across the ground.<p>

Amber looked over at the trainer, and could see the bandage on his arm was slowly reddening. "Shinryu, that wound of yours isn't gonna stop bleeding I think. Should I call for an ambulance?"

Shinryu shook his head. "No, I'm fine." _It'll heal, I know it will. But that Agent Onyx… His weapon was strange compared to a standard Dragonite Revolver. _He looked around him to see that Rose was strolling up ahead of the three of them, because Night remained very close to her mate and 'master', keeping an eye on him protectively.

Amber sighed. "You have a bleeding problem. If that was a knife wound as you said it was, it should've stopped bleeding a half hour ago if that. Something is wrong with it and I know it."

Shinryu raised an eyebrow at this. "You seem worried about me Amber." He asked quietly.

Amber smiled a bit. "Of course I am bud. I am your travelling companion right now and I can't help but be worried about a friend. If you would just let me examine the wound I could probably stitch it up and stop the bleeding."

Night nudged Shinryu's leg insistently, making him sigh.

Shinryu nodded. "Yeah. I'll let you. Hey Rose!"

Rose looked over her shoulder. "Yeah?!" She called back.

"Mind continuing on? We'll catch up. Amber is just gonna look at my arm real quick."

The blonde blinked in confusion before opening her mouth to protest.

Amber saw Shinryu roll his eyes and was about to open his mouth, before she intervened. "Rose, Shinryu's bleeding badly. I don't know if you want to see me stitch it up."

Rose gulped at that before hurrying further on the road, making Shinryu chuckle a bit before she stopped a ways ahead and sat down to wait for them. He could barely see her, but Shinryu hovered his hand over his pokedex on his belt. "Withdraw Syn the Weavile." He said quietly, and a pokeball materialized in his hand. _Cool. That easy huh? _Shinryu tossed the black and blue ball and out came a Weavile that was scratchings his ears before he looked up at Shinryu and crossed his arms with a haughty huff.

'_Whadya want boss?' _Syn asked in pokespeak, knowing his body language projected his question despite not knowing Shinryu knew what he was hearing.

"See Rose up ahead bud?" He asked calmly. "I want you to keep an eye on her and make sure no trouble comes her way. Attack all real threats with prejudice. But do not kill."

The Weavile nodded firmly before turning. '_On it boss! Piece of cake!' _He rushed ahead in a blur, using Quick Attack to travel the distance in seconds that Rose took minutes to do.

Amber chuckled idly as she helped Shinryu sit on a log. "I didn't know you had a Weavile."

Shinryu smiled as Night laid down next to him peaceably. "I have lots of pokemon to be honest." He admitted.

Amber just smiled back and started undoing the bandage around his arm. Slowly the blood-soaked linen fell away and Amber flinched at recognizing the real wound in his arm. "You weren't cut…" She whispered softly, looking it over. She saw the missing flesh around a smallish bullet embedded in white bone. "You got shot." She looked up at him before reaching into her bag while he looked away. She pulled out her larger first aid kit and opened it, pulling out foreceps and putting them to the piece of metal in his arm. "Clench your teeth, and count to three with your nods."

Shinryu nodded. Twice. Three times.

Amber jerked the metal out with a slight snap, elicting a grunt of pain from the man she was operating on. Pulling out a spray bottle, she sprayed the wound with alcohol to disinfect the whole patch of bone and muscle. She then grabbed a closed bottle and opened it, which housed a foul smelling blue paste. Dabbing three fingers into the bottle, Amber coated the wound gingerly until just the flesh was coated. "That should stop the bleeding for now." She dabbed some more paste on her index finger before rubbing it into Shinryu's bone. She then grabbed a fresh roll of bandages and wrapped them around his arm silently.

The whole time Amber was tending to the bullet wound, Shinryu was wincing and grunting slightly. He felt Night put a paw on his foot in reminder that she was there, and steeled himself from passing out. But slowly the pain was fading as the paste was applied, and soon the bandage was in place entirely with Amber securing it.

"So… Why'd you lie?" Amber asked as she packed away her supplies.

Shinryu didn't know why, but he flinched at her words. _There is something about Amber… _He started thinking as he faced her fully. "I lied because I didn't want to worry anyone, and I didn't think it'd be as bad as it was."

The Ace Trainer female sighed as she shook her head. "You got shot Shinryu. Lemme spell that out for you: S h o t." She looked down at the bullet and picked it up to examine it, her eyes narrowing slightly. "This is military grade... " She said under her breath, but Shinryu caught it easily but ignored it as he stood up slowly and tested his arm. Amber soon stood up as well, pulling out a tube from a pouch of her bag and dropping the slug into it before sealing it.

Shinryu looked down at Night and pet her. "Thanks for the help Amber… My arm feels better. But I am still light headed. I don't think we'll make it to Skymarsh before dark."

Amber nodded. "We will go as far as we can then before setting up camp. I doubt a bus will be coming by anytime soon. Because I just checked my phone before seeing to your arm, and there is no service so far."

Shinryu shrugged. "Then let's go, and not waste daylight." He turned and started walking calmly.

Amber sighed and walked with him and Night also. "You are lucky. I've seen wounds like those before in the Army, and they aren't very pleasing to take care of."

The Dragonsong chuckled. "Oh? Were you a combat Medic?"

Amber blinked in surprise.

Shinryu smiled wryly. "Couldn't tell until you pulled out your kit Amber. But hey, I respect the job you did."

Amber smiled softly at that.

Night looked at Amber carefully, watching her. _She's obviously liking Shinryu a bit too much… But why do I not care?_

"Well, you are right there Shinryu. I was a Medic. Still technically am as I have registration to work in a Pokemon Center should I so choose or do any emergency services on the field before an ambulance arrives on scene."

Shinryu nodded. "Let's see… You also grew up on a farm as a kid obviously." He said, making the black and blue haired woman blink in shock. "Your voice says it all. You haven't gotten fully rid of the country tone you used to have carried. I am guessing a Mareep farm by your clothes that aren't ACU. They aren't store bought, and have the exact patterns of wool stitching. The way you are makes me guess you are an only child, and used to be wild."

Amber gasped in surprise.

Shinryu chuckled a bit. "Can't help it. I am too observant for my own good. I can also tell you like me with how concerned you just got over my arm. Mind if I know why?" He dropped his voice as Amber and Syn joined their group, and Syn snapped his claws but Shinryu was already on it, recalling the Weavile back into his pokeball and snapping it into place at his belt while he glanced at the somewhat blushing woman at his right.

Amber looked away, making Night blink.

_Shinryu guessed… _Night said in her mind. _Did he? _

"Well… The reason I like you Shinryu is… I guess your attitude. You're calm, and love your Pokemon dearly. Just like I love mine. I find it easy to get along with you, and for some reason feel at ease."

Shinryu nodded a bit in acknowledgement, still listening.

"You're dedicated to whatever you put your mind to I noticed. You were deadset on continuing even if you would've fallen unconscious before I stopped you and paid real attention to your gunshot wound." She said the wound quietly to not alert Rose, making Shinryu smirk at that. "I've also realized you're strong from what I could feel of what wasn't damaged of your arm."

This made Shinryu laugh quietly. "I see. Well… What do you want to do about it Amber? If you must know, I am taken to another woman. She didn't want to come to Trema, and she'd be mad if I dallied with someone else."

Amber blushed a bit, but sighed. "Well… I would want to ask her myself…" She murmured.

Shinryu and Night both blinked at the same time. "Ask her what?" Asked the former Hoenn Champion curiously.

Amber blushed slightly. "Ask her if she… Wouldn't mind sharing." She said quietly, stunning Night and Shinryu enough to make the latter walk face first into a low hanging tree branch.

"Oww!" Yelped Shinryu before swatting at the branch. Amber blinked as she saw cracks spiderweb along where he hit, but Shinryu gripped it and pushed the branch so it didn't break fully and walked under it.

_Strange… That was not expected. _Thought Amber when she saw this.

Night looked thoughtful. _She wanted to ask if she could share my mate? Why?_

_What to do what to do… _Thought Shinryu at the predicament he was currently in. He knew he would be popular with the woman, and he didn't even think for one moment that Amber would be smitten with him considering she helped him when she had a chance to fight with Lilly back in Tectra City. But, considering the lack of any hostility from Night yet, he was unsure of how to proceed. Night was a good cue to Rose's desire for him and that she didn't like it. But now that she knew, he was shocked that she hadn't reacted at all… Yet at least.

Amber went quiet, looking away from Shinryu before starting to walk ahead of him and passing Rose entirely to take point.

The blonde looked over at Shinryu, who hardened his aloof mask for her to see and just that. "What?" He asked.

Rose shrugged. "Nothing." She looked forward again and kept going.

Just at that moment, Shinryu turned as he heard a bike behind him. After a good five minutes, Arthur stopped panting. "There you are Arthur!"

Arthur chuckled, panting heavily. "There… You… Guys… Are." He waved at Shinryu before getting off of the bike and folding it up. "I heard the sound of a pokemon on the path and got interested, so I went to go check it out. Turns out it was a whole herd of Scyroth."

Shinryu blinked at hearing that. "Scyroth?"

"Yeah. An evolved form of Scyther apparently that specialize in speed and special attacks. It was cool watching them, but I managed to catch one!" Arthur said, holding up an Ultra Ball.

Shinryu grinned. "Awesome!" He walked up and looked into the top of the Ultra ball, while Arthur twisted the bottom a bit making the device's top go clear for a bit to reveal a green bug with blue armor around its abdomen and thorax, and two rigid blades instead of the standard single blade of the Scyther it apparently came from. "Interesting…"

Arthur nodded.

"Oi! Hurry up Shinryu!" Called Amber from up ahead.

Shinryu nodded slightly before he started walking again.

* * *

><p>Hayato jumped from the final zipline as he arrived at the final checkpoint. The distance between the City and the temple was great enough to require a few checkpoints that were spaced to allow people to rehydrate or relieve themselves as needed before continuing on their way to the location of the temple. But now he was there.<p>

Hayato stared up in awe as he came upon a large pyramid that was in the Skymarsh that surrounded the city that it was named after. The old mossy stones were somewhat worn with the passage of time, but they still displayed their grand significance to the world. Something important had happened here centuries ago that prompted the Temple to be built, but the statue that had used to be at the top of the pyramid had long since been eroded away.

Hayato whistled as he walked closer to the entrance that led deeper into the temple, letting Etheria out of its pokeball. "Come on Etheria. Let's go find the Gym Leader!" He exclaimed boisterously, pumping his fist into the air. Etheria mimicked his motion happily and they rushed into the temple.

The hallway the duo entered was musty, but Hayato could tell immediately that someone had been down here recently. He couldn't tell how, but he knew deep down in his gut he was right. "We should be careful Etheria. Something isn't right about this place… It feels off." He said as he thought of the times he was approached by the figure in white or Darkrai.

Etheria hissed in confirmation, but looked confident they could handle anything.

This made Hyato chuckle. "You're right, we can handle anything together!" He exclaimed before they continued deeper into the temple.

* * *

><p>Shinryu walked next to Amber, watching as Rose and Arthur walked ahead of them hand in hand. "Hmm… Amber?"<p>

Amber looked at Shinryu curiously. "Yes Shinryu?"

"I need to talk to you tonight before we get our rooms in Skymarsh City."

The Ace Trainer blinked in response to this. "This is about what I said earlier right?" She asked hesitantly, making Shinryu nod. "Okay."

Shinryu nodded calmly as he kept going quietly. The ground started sloping downward into a steep hill, and Shinryu looked down at the marsh that surrounded a large city in the distance. He looked up at the sky and sighed. "Looks like we will be there sometime AFTER dark. Oh well, Hotels remain open for a while." He quickened his pace though.

Night stopped walking in front of Amber and turned to look at her.

Amber looked down at Night curiously at this. "Something wrong Night?" She asked with genuine concern.

Night kept looking at her before turning around with a satisfied nod. _I have my decision._ She thought to herself.

(Two hours later)

The group sighed as they walked into the Skywind Hotel, and Shinryu walked up to the counter to talk to the clerk.

"Hello." Shinryu said calmly. "I'd like to get three rooms please."

The clerk nodded. "Of course sir." She said, not bothering to tell Shinryu about his pokemon which cheered up the trainer. "That will be 40000 for the night."

Shinryu nodded and swiped his trainer card at the terminal.

The clerk frowned after a while. "I'm sorry sir. But your credentials were denied."

Shinryu blinked. "What?" He asked in shock.

"Yeah. Apparently you have nothing in your account."

_Strange…_ Shinryu thought as he pulled out his wallet and procured the necessary bills and paid for the rooms. "Sorry. At least I have cash." He said before sensing someone behind him, making him turn around as two police officers stood there. "Can I help you officers?"

The large male officer looked down at Shinryu in what he took as supposed to intimidate. While an Officer Jenny sighed.

"Shinryu, you are under arrest." She said quietly. "Sarah is not going to be happy when I call her."

Shinryu blinked in surprise. _Sarah Jenny… Seth's old girlfriend and still my sister. _He sighed and looked at the others. "I have no choice." He quietly spoke before holding his hands out together for the Officers to cuff him.

The Officer Jenny put the cuffs on, and made sure they were comfortable, before leading Shinryu out as the burly officer walked behind them both as a security measure.

Night walked in front of them and whimpered a bit, causing Jenny to look at her.

"Shinryu, which is her pokeball?" Jenny asked softly.

Shinryu carefully moved and took her ball from his belt. He thought a bit before looking towards Amber. "Give it to Amber." He told Jenny.

Jenny took the ball and looked to the Ace Trainer, who looked shocked. "Amber I presume?"

Amber walked forward slowly. "Yes Officer?"

Jenny: "Shinryu is entrusting his pokemon in your care during his internment. Do you accept?"

Amber nodded slowly, still shocked. "Yeah…"

The burly officer worked and took all the Pokeballs from Shinryu and his Pokedex and gave them to the smaller woman.

Shinryu looked at Night plaintively. "Take care." He said to Amber and her at the same time before he was led from the building.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sorry for the short Chapter, but I felt like an update was necessary sooner than I thought. More is sure to come, but I cannot anticipate everything as I am borrowing someone's computer at this moment. Also, Du Mar has backed out of the story and given me full ownership of the OCs and everything else he had a claim. Also, Pokemon is still the sole ownership of Gamefreak and Nintendo. I just own the Pokemon I created myself.<strong>_

_**~Veloran**_


	15. Convoluted Mess

**Chapter Fifteen: Convoluted Mess**

* * *

><p>Shinryu stared at the wall as he sat on the hard bed of his cell, his face dark and eyes filled with warring thoughts as a tempest built within his mind. Everything was on his mind at once as always, but the maelstrom was harder for him to control at the time so he just settled with staring at the stone wall. Hoping that things would be explained to him soon or that he could figure out the reason why he had been arrested in the first place. He was confused, angry, and lonely right now. Confused as to why he was trapped in a cell despite knowing he had the ability to escape at any time as this was just a normal detaining cell and not a real prison block. Angry at having been so rudely dragged from his friends for no reason. And lonely, because he could feel through his connection with his Guardian that she was feeling the same thing.<p>

He didn't react as footsteps were heard and a figure stopped at the door, staring into the cell he sat in. "Shinryu?" He heard in a soft voice.

He chose not to face who said it. He already knew it wasn't the Officer Jenny that he wanted to speak to yet. He saw the games they were playing, trying to make him think that he was talking to Sarah when he knew the way she said his name. "You're not Sarah." He ground out, voice cracking with the force of him trying not to fly off the handle. "Stop fooling around."

The Officer sighed and walked away after putting a tray of food onto a shelf that slid into his cell. "At least eat something."

Shinryu rolled his eyes and kept staring at the wall. Even as his stomach growled. Fifteen hours had passed already. Fifteen long hours. He couldn't sleep, and he was too worked up to want to eat. He was tired of the games damnit!

More footsteps were heard and silence.

"... Shinryu?"

_There she is. _Shinryu thought before standing up. "Sarah." He walked over to the door and stood looking directly at one of several people belonging to the same family of Jenny. He looked her over carefully, seeing she was in civilian clothes.

"What did you do?" She asked breathlessly.

Shinryu snorted. "Like I'd know. I haven't been told a damn thing."

Sarah winced at his tone, and Shinryu mentally cursed his hotheadedness.

"Sorry." He apologized quietly. But then he looked fierce. "I want proof you are Sarah."

Sarah looked carefully at Shinryu. _He's a wreck… _She thought to herself. She reached out to him slowly, holding her closed fist out to him. And then she opened her hand and Shinryu gazed expectantly before nodding in satisfaction. The scar on her hand said it all in his mind.

She watched, her heart breaking a bit seeing her brother in his current state. "Are you okay?"

"No. I'm being detained without probable cause." He said quietly. _But why?_

Sarah moved her hand to cup his cheek. "I will find out why when I leave." She said gently.

Shinryu leaned against her hand, finding comfort. "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything brother."

"Go check on Night. A friend of mine is watching her and my pokemon at the Skyrise Hotel." He barely choked out.

Sarah nodded in understanding, well aware of Shinryu and Night's relationship since she was let in on the biggest secret her brother had shortly after her beloved had passed. "You got it Shinryu. Anything you want me to tell her?"

Shinryu thought for a moment, and nodded. "Tell her that I am fine and I miss her." He said quietly, just barely within the human's hearing range on purpose.

Sarah blinked. _That's… Unusual. I need to find out why from Night. _"Okay."

Shinryu reached up and held her hand. "Don't fret sis. I'm tougher than I look." He barely managed to joke. "Now go please?"

Sarah nodded softly and pulled back. "Eat up. I can hear your stomach protesting, and I know how you get when you are hungry."

Shinryu frowned but sighed. "Fine." He grabbed the tray and turned at the same time as Sarah, who departed. The Absol Chosen sat at his bed and started eating slowly, contemplatively. But then growled as he felt something.

A dark hooded figure stood at the door. "You are Shinryu. Birth name Richard Maxwell. Titles include Championbreaker and Dragonsong." The voice stated darkly. "Heheh. You aren't as reserved as I believed."

Shinryu looked over at the figure. "What of it?" He demanded.

"Merely… Curious. What ended up with your interment here at this detainment cell? What has the mighty Shinryu done?"

Shirnyu growled. "How did you get here? Guards!" He called out.

"Don't bother." Barked the figure commandingly. "They can't hear you anyways. You're hidden by a hologram of you eating and there are sound suppressors placed carefully to prevent our conversation from being heard."

Shinryu recoiled at the tone. "Who are you?"

"You will find out in time Chosen." The figure smirked under the cloak's cowl as Shinryu glared at him. "I have plans for you young one. But all will be revealed soon. Very soon. You see, you are a piece to a puzzle. A complex puzzle that requires me to use you last to complete it."

Shinryu scowled at the figure before him, irritated but unable to respond as he registered what was said.

"In three hours you will be freed. I cannot guarantee you will come out as a licensed Trainer though. This Trema League is quite stiff in its stance against crime. You see… Your crime was easy to pull off. Someone pulled some strings after your event yesterday with a certain Agent Onyx." He held up a hand, cutting off Shinryu's retort before it could be voiced. "Hold your tongue. Listen. The Agent you fought decided to play a game of faking a fraud. He took a sample of your blood required to get into your stock profile and screwed around with Triam Inc during the time it took you to arrive here in Skymarsh. The Company your Grandfather worked so hard to build from the ground up was destabilized sadly by his meddling. You lost everything you had Chosen."

Shinryu was stunned. _But I have my answers now I guess… _"What is your game?"

"There is no game to this conversation Chosen. Merely me trying to keep you in play for my puzzle to be completed eventually. I have a friend trying to plead your case to the League Council in order to retain your ability to participate in the Trema League. Be glad for it."

The snarl curling Shinryu's lips mad the figure chuckle.

"Now now. Anger gets you nowhere. I am neither an enemy nor an ally at this point. Do not push my hand towards wanting to be your Enemy. I could end you quickly." Smiling slowly as Shinryu stopped snarling, the figure kept speaking. "However you do have an enemy I cannot point out. He is close to you, someone you know. Someone you think you can trust. Perhaps someone you'd defend because you firmly believe them innocent?"

Shinryu's eyes narrowed. _Hayato. _He thought before looking away. _Did he do this?_

"You have suspicions of someone? Don't act on them." Shinryu blanched. "For you might be thinking of the wrong person. I don't know. As I said, the person is masked to my Presience."

Shinryu snorted.

"Be wary of everyone."

"But you said that the person was male."

"Correct. Be careful young Chosen. I need you alive and remaining in the League." The figure soon vanished in a swirl of smoke that cleared away leaving nothing behind.

Shinryu glowered at the spot the figure had stood, his fury growing at what he had heard. _I am being used, and mocked! Bah! _Then he sighed reluctantly and finished his food before laying back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling above him. _Night… I will be by you soon I hope._

* * *

><p>Night paced around the room she was in with Amber, growling in worry. <em>Shinryu… I hope you're alright. But at least I know you aren't dead.<em> She thought dimly.

Amber watched the Absol pace restlessly, still stunned at what had happened the night before. She had watched as Shinryu was arrested and then given custody of his pokemon as a guardian. To be honest… _I'm touched that he trusted me to watch over his pokemon. I haven't wanted to let out any of the others, because I fear that Night's mood is contagious. She is worried sick over her master and friend. _She sighs and goes to the fridge and pulls out a complimentary soda and cracks the lid open to drink it slowly. _I gotta admit. I'm worried as well, and if Shinryu could call his girlfriend I am sure she'd be just as worried if not more._

Both pokemon and human were distracted and alert as soon as a knock was heard at the door.

Night perked up with a hopeful look as Amber got up and answered the door, but looked crestfallen as she smelled a different person behind Amber.

Amber blinked. "Officer Jenny?"

Sarah chuckled. "One of several after all. But I am from Hoenn and got here as soon as I could."

"Why?" Amber asked.

Sarah smiled. "I'm Sarah Jenny. Shinryu's adoptive sister."

Amber blinked in surprise as Night pushed her aside to look up at Sarah.

Sarah looked down at Night. "Hey Night. How you holding up with him gone?"

Night let out a whine, unable to talk to her friend yet.

Sarah knelt down and hugged the Absol tightly, and Night relaxed slowly. "I visited him." Sarah whispered into her ear discretely. "He's fine, at least physically. But he is distraught and for good reason, I found out from him they didn't tell him why he was being detained before I left."

Night's eyes widened slightly. "When can I see him? Is there anything you can do?" She whispered back.

"Not right now. All I can do is hope." Soon Sarah stood up. "Amber, mind if I go on a walk with Night?"

Amber nodded quickly. "Yeah, not at all. I think she could use some time to not be pent up in this room." She then handed the Pokeball that was Night's, and Sarah closed her hand around it.

Sarah nodded to Night, and she turned to leave with the Absol as Amber sat down to stew after closing the door.

* * *

><p>The figure who had previously been in Shinryu's presence appeared in a large meadow outside of the reaches of the marsh around the City. "Hmm… Shinryu is quite the puzzle himself." He muttered as he lowered his cowl. A hard hawkish face came into view, with a deep scar marring the left side of his face that had disabled that eye a long time ago.<p>

Another figure entered the meadow and lowered their hood, revealing a beautiful female who smirked. "Is the plan going along nicely?"

The man nodded. "Yes. Shinryu took the seeds of doubt quite well I might add. He knows one of his friends did this, but not who. Because honestly neither do I."

The woman chuckled. "And you will not know. Our Sponsor is very secretive of his reasons."

The man shrugged. "Either way, we get paid and have amazing resources at our disposal."

Another figure walked into the meadow. "And I pay you handsomely. I trust everything is in order?"

The man nodded, not at all perturbed the figure wanted to keep anonymous. "Everything is." _Including my own plan._

The figure chuckled, the voice completely androgynous and indistinguishable for gender. "Well. Good." And then the three of them vanished.

* * *

><p>Shinryu was pulled from his short nap by the sound of keys jingling and the cell door opening. Sitting up, the irate trainer looked up as the same burly Officer stood at the door.<p>

The officer just remained passive. "Follow me, or do I have to make you?"

Shinryu grunted and rolled his eyes in annoyance, but complied nonetheless as he stepped out and let the Officer cuff his hands again. He followed him with a brooding look to a room with a series of TVs and a webcam on a table viewing a single chair.

"Sit." Commanded the Officer, and Shinryu reluctantly sat at the chair knowing what was coming.

One by one, the TVs started displaying faces he recognized: Lance the Dragon Master, Steven Stone the Iron Genius, Cynthia the Golden, Alder the Inferno, and a face he didn't recognize appeared on the last screen.

Alder spoke up soon… "Shinryu the Dragonsong. You stand accused of Criminal Fraud. We have compiled evidence that you have started a Counterfiting ring." Shinryu looked at his friend from Unova, and was glad he heard doubt in his voice. "However we also have evidence you are innocent. For hours your case was pleaded before the Council of Champions and then the League Syndicates for your charges to be dropped and allow you to remain in Trema. However we haven't come to a full decision yet, but we cannot allow you to remain locked up for a crime you haven't been PROVEN," Shinryu noticed Alder glance towards Cynthia's TV screen. "guilty like some believe."

"Shinryu, due to the circumstances…" Lance started reluctantly. "... Your battling privileges in Trema have been revoked until further notice. You cannot challenge or accept a challenge of anyone until they are restored. Also, your assets and property have been seized and are on hold until the charges are finalized in either direction."

Shinryu flinched slightly at this. "I see…" He said in a hollow voice.

"You may not know me Shinryu," Said the person he didn't recognize. "But I am the current Trema Champion. My name is Tessia. I do not have any opinion of what is happening, and I have no reason to believe you are innocent or guilty. But I do have your Reputation at heart and managed to get the Trema Syndicate to be lenient on you until things have been decided."

Shinryu nodded slowly. "I understand Tessia."

Steven finally spoke up. "You do, however, have a permanent room at the Hotel. But you cannot leave the room. You are also under house arrest for two days when we convene again once more evidence has been collected. I am sorry my friend, but that was the most I could do."

Shinryu nodded again. "I thank you for your kindness my friend."

Steven smiled slightly, and soon the TVs became black.

This prompted the Officer to have Shinryu stand up and he escorted the sulking Trainer to the Hotel.

* * *

><p>Sarah stopped in the middle of the empty park and looked around a few times before sitting at a bench. "Alright Night. Can you tell me what happened?"<p>

Night sighed. "Not that I know of. We had just gotten to the Hotel last night before he was approached and arrested. His rights weren't even read to him and it was so confusing."

"He was really worried about you Night. More than anything I could tell he wanted me to tell you he missed you… What is that about?"

Night fidgeted a bit. "Promise not to tell anyone?"

Sarah smiled a bit. "You know me Night."

Night sighed softly and looked away. "Me and him are… Together." Smelling confusion she sighed more. "As mates."

This made Sarah blink in surprise. "What?"

Night rolled her eyes and began explaining what a Chosen and Guardian were destined for as gently as she could.

* * *

><p>Shinryu was pushed roughly into the room that Amber was in and fell flat on his back, but he was glad the cuffs were removed. "Ow…" He muttered, not realizing he wasn't alone.<p>

"Shinryu?" Asked Amber in surprise, making him jump out of his skin and enter a ready stance for a fight.

Slowly Shinryu realized who it was and lowered his fists. "Oh Amber. Where's Night?" He asked with worry.

"Sarah took her on a walk."

Shinryu blinked but then relaxed a bit. "Thank Arceus…" He grumbled soon after and slouched into a chair. "But now for some bad news. I'm under house arrest, and to top it all off facing false Fraud charges!"

Amber cringed. "Fraud? How?"

Shinryu sighed. "Don't ask. I wanna say when Sarah gets back with Night."

This made Amber nod. "Understandable. But… What of the League challenge?" She asked softly with concern.

"It's on hold until I can battle again. As I said, my battling privileges were revoked."

"... You never said that…"

Shinryu blinked. "Oh… I have a lot on my mind. Well now you know."

"I'm sorry this is happening to you Shinryu… You don't deserve this. And I am sure your girlfriend would feel pretty bad about you too when you call her."

_So Night did behave._ Shinryu thought idly before nodding. "Yeah… She will be."

The two adults went silent after that, but Amber could tell Shinryu had sunk into a brooding state of mind. _Poor Shinryu… I feel bad for him. You know what, I'm not gonna battle either and help him cheer up. _Amber pulled out her Trainer ID and walked over to Shinryu. "Here." She offered it to him.

This made the brooding male blink in surprise and shock. "Amber?" He asked uncertainly. "What are you doing?"

"If you have my ID I cannot battle because it means you're still processing a payment for me losing a battle to you that was suspended during your privileges being revoked." Amber said quietly. "I feel like it'll be easier for you to cope with being set back… If someone you know stayed with you to keep you company the whole while."

Shinryu looked down at the bronze colored ID card before shakily taking it and putting it in his pocket. "Amber… You have no idea what you're doing for me."

"Yes I do. I'm helping a friend. Even if I am told you cannot be shared… I still want to be friends."

This placed a small smile on Shinryu's face. "Well, who am I to deny you that?"

He then turned to the door just as it opened, smiling a bit more as Sarah walked into the room with Night.

Sarah blinked before darting forward and pulling the startled trainer into her arms, hugging him tightly. "You're free now?!" She exclaimed.

Shinryu chuckled a bit. "Yeah yeah. I am. Thanks for walking Night, I don't think I'll be able to."

Sarah blinked. "Why is that?"

Shinryu frowned a bit. "Why don't you all take a seat and I'll tell you three?"

* * *

><p>Hayato dodged a stray Thunderbolt that rocketed his way. "Etheria! Use Scald on that Stunfisk!"<p>

Etheria hissed and sprayed steaming water all over the electric and ground pest that had attacked his Trainer. Soon the Stunfisk fainted.

"Damnit!" Growled the Team Chaos grunt who recalled the Stunfisk. "You'll be sorry kid!" He roared before running off.

The temple was in chaos. Hayato stood back to back with Mark, who had a strong looking Flying type pokemon as his partner. He had found the Gym Leader, but accidentally set off a trap which led to what seemed like hundreds of Grunts swarming their way and attacking them ruthlessly.

Mark looked back at Hayato. "Your pokemon doing okay kid?" He asked calmly, despite the deep gash on his arm. Thankfully, it wasn't bleeding too badly after a quick tearing of a shirt and wrapping it as an impromptu bandage.

Hayato grunted. "I only have Etheria and Draxio still in fighting shape. You?" He countered.

"My Zephyren is all I have left. I hope it is enough. Their pokemon may be weak, but they have the advantage of numbers." Mark turned to face the ten grunts that remained while Hayato faced the ten that he had left as well. "I hope we get out of this intact. I never expected such a huge operation down here."

Hayato nodded grimly in response, a bruise on his cheek courtesy of one of the Chaos nightsticks.

* * *

><p>Amber, Sarah, and Night all stared at Shinryu with dumbfounded looks after he finished his story. But the four of them could agree on one thing… Things have definitely gotten more complicated than they had ever expected for the man before them.<p>

"Shinryu…" Sarah started. "You mean to say you were approached by someone who knew what you were?"

This made the only male in the room nod silently.

Amber frowned. "What is a Chosen?" She asked suddenly, making the other three flinch a bit.

Sarah looked at Amber and was about to speak before she was interrupted. And it wasn't by Shinryu.

"A Chosen is what Shinryu is. He technically isn't human anymore, and has a strong bond with a Guardian. Now to answer your questions I see, yes I can speak like you. And a Guardian is a pokemon directly linked to Arceus. We are stronger than normal pokemon and have a strong bond with our Chosen." Night started, figuring it best to explain everything. "We Guardians and our Chosen aren't exactly a new concept, but we've been hidden in recent years because of the society that might fear our potential or want to experiment on us if discovered. Precious few non-Chosen, like you and Sarah, know of us and we try to keep it that way out of concern for not just ourselves but that if people wanting to get at us went after you people to get at us. I am the Absol Guardian obviously, and there are lots of other kinds of Guardians out there. But pokemon that aren't fully evolved cannot be a Guardian unless they evolve by certain means outside of growing in power."

She couldn't hide her smirk as everyone blinked in surprise.

Shinryu frowned. "I thought there was a Guardian for every pokemon?"

Night giggled. "No silly… It is counter productive for that. There'd be multiple Blaziken Guardians if that were the case. Or Charizard, and Lucario. But you get the point I hope."

This made Shinryu nod slowly in realization. "That… Makes a bit of sense."

Amber slowly raised her hand, getting everyone's attention. "What else is there Night?" She asked with a voice full of latent shock.

"We can both sense a Chosen with ease." Shinryu said calmly. "Guardians are trickier, but what the real kicker is… The Chosen and Guardians are each other's soul mates."

Amber looked shocked even more at this.

Night nodded. "Indeed. I do not know everything about how Arceus set us up, but I can say with full honesty a Guardian is always the opposite gender of his or her Chosen."

Soon Amber passed out and slumped onto the bed she was sitting on, making the rest of the beings in the room go quiet.

"Well…" Sarah started. "She took it quite well. Think she can keep your secret lil' bro?"

Shinryu shrugged. "I know she can. If not, I know how to make her forget everything. But you don't seem surprised by me and Night being together."

"Night told me after I persuaded her with questions."

"Hey!" Night exclaimed, making both adoptive siblings laugh at her outburst.

"Well, no harm done." Shinryu admitted calmly. "At least you took it well sis."

"Now I know why you had such horrible luck with the ladies." She countered.

"Hey, Rose don't count."

"Who said she did?"

"You implied it."

"And?"

"Grrr."

"Getting mad little one?" Sarah asked smugly.

Shinryu tackled her to the ground and pinned her below him by sitting on her back.

"Hey! Get off me!"

"Not until you apologize."

Night rolled her eyes and shook her head. _What a bunch of kids._ She thought and laid down on a bed before falling asleep. _It's gonna be a long two days…_

* * *

><p><strong>Thunder rolled in the distance as lightning struck at a tall black pillar, illuminating deep engravings upon the ebony surface. With a brilliant flash brighter than the rest, another bolt struck the pillar and a large menacing form could be seen from inside.<strong>

"**Hurry up men!" Yelled a man wearing ornate armor and wielding a spear. A large white beast at his side with a black scythe on its head howling to the sky as the pillar cracked slowly. "We have to seal it away quickly! This is our only chance! Harrow the storm! Arceus is watching over us!"**

**The men worked heavily with pokemon, a huge variety obscured by darkness as they rushed to complete the ritual.**

**The commander looked up suddenly as a piece of the pillar fell and was about to crush someone important. He moved quickly with blinding speed, catching the tumbling piece with a sickening squelch. The man grunted in pain, but held the shard fast as the ritual made the air thrum with power. Looking up, he smiled weakly at his companion that moved to his side with concern in its dark crimson eyes. "I'm sorry love. I had no choice." He confessed even as blood dripped down his mouth, his chest split open from the sharp jutting of the shard that had pierced armor, bone, and flesh.**

**The pokemon nodded. "It is alright." It spoke, a soft feminine voice heard. "You did what you had to, and we have no regrets. We will meet again in another life, I am certain of it."**

**The entire area became bathed in pure white light before everything went black.**

Shinryu bolted upright from his spot next to Night, panting as he broke out in a cold sweat. He panted heavily, wiping his forehead as he tried to clear his mind. "That dream was so real…" He murmured quietly. His hand felt his chest, he could still feel the pain of that man. And the voice of that strange pokemon was so familiar to him.

Shinryu looked around the room carefully, and heaved a sigh as he stood up after making sure Night remained asleep to walk towards the balcony overlooking the inner courtyard garden the Hotel had. Leaning against the railing, Shinryu stared into the distance quietly. _What was this dream? I haven't had one so lucid and could remember it completely. It must mean something…_

He jumped a bit as a hand touched his shoulder. "Shinryu?" Asked Amber quietly from behind him. "You okay?"

Shinryu closed his eyes before turning to face the woman before him, who was clad in a camo pajamas. "I'm not sure. Today has been a long day…"

* * *

><p><strong>Well here is another Chapter. I hope everyone enjoys the effort I am putting into this. Forgive me if I am not writing as many words as I usually do, but I am easing back into things. And sorry for not as much Hayato spotlight, I am changing up the structure me and Du Mar had settled on while we were coauthors. Originally, this was a story about Shinryu after all. Anyways, Read and Review please. But if you have anything bad to say about this chapter or anything else, I kindly ask you PM me instead of putting a derogatory Review.<strong>

**Sincerely,**

**Veloran**


	16. Path of the Chosen

**Chapter Sixteen: Path of the Chosen**

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><p>Shinryu sighed as he slowly slipped into the hot tub of the pool the Hotel had. <em>Thankfully after a bit of convincing the Guards let me into the pool tonight. Of course, they are all guarding the entrances and exits while I am here because for some reason they are thinking I want to flee. <em>He thought as he settled down to let the hot water seep into his muscles and relax them. _However even if I did want to escape, there isn't much they could do to stop me. I am a fully realized Chosen now after all. Very few things could stop me if I really wanted to be gone. But Arceus wouldn't want me to because of how the others would react to me blatantly ignoring the laws of a Region._

The man sighed as he could feel his darker emotions bubbling to the surface though, now that he was truly alone and to himself he could fully think of the situation he was in.

First, he thought of the whole debacle regarding his reputation and Triam Inc. He knew without a doubt that even if he was cleared of all charges, his family's company would collapse because of the sudden freeze of his personal accounts. Triam was pretty much funded by Shinryu now after he gained so much fame. He owned the majority of the stocks and because of him being investigated for fraud, Triam and by extent his Grandfather and Father would be investigated as well. It didn't bode well for them at all. Shinryu also knew that in order for someone to fake a legitimate looking scandal against him, they'd need his blood to access his accounts to any form of level that would help them. _And the perfect point for someone to get a hold of my blood… Well shit. Those supposed Agents that attacked me got some of my blood from the scene where they attacked me. The spot where I had to patch myself up is the perfect source for someone who knew I was there to take a sample… This means that whoever did it probably had a plan in store for when they acquired my blood. A powerful plan regarding the destabilization of my primary income source to cripple my ability to go on here in Trema. In order to get such a plan to come to fruition, they'd have to have planned this situation for maybe three years to get to the extent that I am seeing at maximum, depending on their resources and equipment. Damnit, this does not bode well for me at all._

The second issue was whether or not he should continue the Trema League, considering they were ruthless in taking away his battling privileges and confining him to a Hotel in a large City. Not to mention arresting him without reading him his rights for the matter, which meant they thought they could override the laws of the World just because he was in Trema. _That annoys me greatly. I can feel my anger growing at my treatment here. Well, I suppose it is better than having my license revoked and all of my pokemon taken hostage against their will. Especially Night. I dunno how I'd react to having her taken from me. I will talk to Night after this and ask her opinion on what to do._

Then there was Hayato. Shinryu knew Night had a great fear of the man for some reason, but he couldn't think of why. And then there was the spectacle of the unknown figure appearing in front of his cell while he was being detained, explaining some answers to his questions but at the same time creating far more that he wanted to be answered as well. He warned that someone close to him had caused the problem with the fraud, and with a vicious kick Shinryu sent a torrent of water up into the air to splash back down around him, stinging his skin slightly as the hot drops pelted his skin heavily. _Not to mention Arthur was nowhere to be seen for a while before and after the whole event regarding the Bounty Hunters, if that is what they are, and Agent Onyx's appearance._ He touched his arm, wincing slightly at the stinging he felt from the gunshot, but relieved that the wound was almost fully healed. _Now that I think about it. Arthur and Agent Onyx have a similar build and height to each other. The Agent's suit masked some of it, but now I can say for certain they were similar. Not to mention his voice was electronically masked to prevent me from knowing who he was, to the point of being triple-filtered to make absolutely certain no one could know unless they had a recording and could decode the masking processes. Whoever Agent Onyx is, they are definitely someone I know._

"Hey, what happened in there?" Came the voice of one of the guards through a slightly opened door. Shinryu noted he had his gun out and ready in case he moved to escape.

"Nothing, just splashed some water around."

The guard grunted before pulling back and closing the door to stand with his back to it.

Shinryu snorted at the obvious third-degree before closing his eyes to resume his brooding.

Finally, there were two more matters that were distracting him. Amber being one of them, by admitting to him that she liked him. And then Night, by not reacting to her liking him. Right now Amber was still probably out cold from the explanation of Night being his Guardian and that the Chosen are each others Soul Mates. For that he was kind of glad due to have happened because he was not ready at the time to have talked to her about what sharing her would mean. He was also scared of what Night would say about that matter as well. He had just gotten her, and he was not in the mood to betray her in any way. _This matter is so confusing. Why has it gotten to this point? I do not know what to do. I need to talk to Night soon. So I should get out of this hot tub and go talk to her after convincing Amber to give us some time to talk in peace._ He stood up and went to shower down.

* * *

><p>Shinryu stepped into his room after a guard escorted him back. "Thank you." He said quietly to the guard, who nodded in acknowledgement of the trainer. Once inside Shinryu saw Amber was making some steaks in the kitchen, and Night was in the bedroom. <em>And Sarah left I guess. Perhaps to go home and talk to Seth at his grave for the both of us. <em>He walked to where Night was laying and sat next to her, putting his hand on her flank. "Hey Night."

Night looked up at Shinryu. "Hey. Are you okay?" She asked softly, voice full of concern.

"I'm okay-" Shinryu started.

"No you aren't Shinryu. Your thoughts were clouded and I could feel your emotions through our bond. We need to talk about what is bothering you." Night insisted quietly.

This caused Shinryu to sigh in exasperation. "... You know me too well." He looked down at her with a slight frown. "Alright… Wanna what is bothering me? Fine. I feel like I am trapped here in a City when I absolutely loathe being in a town when I could be out in the wild surrounded by pokemon and training with you all. I feel useless because the stupid Trema League has revoked my privilege to battle, forcing me to fall behind in the league as other trainers advance to get all four of their Gate Badges before I do. Then there is the whole deal regarding the team of four that attacked us outright, leading up to an Agent Onyx supporting them and shooting me in the arm, which of course ends up with my Grandfather's company and my reputation being torn apart and my whole potential career being ruined for the rest of my life because all my assets were frozen. Arthur was missing the whole while before and after too as well. And finally this guy who approaches me in the cell I was in shortly after arriving in Skymarsh tells me someone is betraying me, which leads me to what you told me shortly after we met Hayato and making me somewhat feel like he is guilty of what you say he is. In short, I do not know what to do anymore Night."

Night blinked in surprise the whole time she heard this, staring up at Shinryu as he started to break down and spilled his fears to her in earnest.

"I do not know whether or not to continue our journey here in Trema… I think it was a mistake coming here at all. We are not needed her from what I can tell. I also am afraid of what your opinion of is in regards to Amber and her liking me because of the fact you didn't react much at all when she confessed to liking me while we were walking to this damned city. I am starting to go crazy because I also do not know how to handle what she told me, and at the same time I do not wanna betray you my mate, especially since I only just realized what you are to me when we got to Trema. Everything seems to be going wrong now for some reason and it worries me greatly."

Night sighed softly and leaned up to kiss him before he could continue his rant, silencing the man and making him blink in shock. "Listen here." She whispered in his ear after pulling from the kiss. "Hayato couldn't have been the one who betrayed you during the attack. There is no way any of them could've been him because none of the aggressors were even remotely similar to him at all. Heck, Agent Onyx was incredibly different in both height and build. Yes, I know I am defending the man when I know I wanna blame him too, but the evidence points otherwise. Arthur **could** have been there, but I cannot say for certain myself like I know you are unsure as well." She paused for a bit and continued before her mate could restart his tirade. "Not to mention we are **needed** here in Trema. Arceus visited me in a dream during the night you were taken by the officers. She told me that our job is here due to a growing presence of her enemy on the other side of the Gate Mechanism, and has even mentions she fears his ability to break from a Seal that restrains him. This means that the Darkness **is **in Trema, and has been for who knows how long." She watched as Shinryu's face displayed surprise. "Look, I need you to stop worrying for now. Everything I am certain will be answered with time. If you keep this up, I doubt we can do much of anything to help Arceus and the rest of the world maintain their freedom from our enemies."

Shinryu nodded slowly, still surprised.

"I also have faith you will be able to continue battling in the Trema League regardless. And regarding Amber, you should follow your heart on this. I know we are Fated for each other, and do not really know what would happen if you sought another while we are mates."

Shinryu sighed for a bit before his resolve hardened. "Thanks Night. I do not know what I would do without you."

Night nodded firmly. "Damn right."

* * *

><p>Soon after the conversation was finished Amber had served steak and potatoes for dinner while Shinryu gave Night a bowl full of pokemon food for her dinner.<p>

Shinryu sat down at the table across from the Ace Trainer and slowly ate his food. _Night is right. I should follow my heart. I haven't listened to it for a while, not since the time me and Rose broke up the first time of all things. _He closed his eyes and breathed deeply as he focused his mind. If his eyes weren't closed, it would've been easy to notice them flash red before turning purple while just afterwards they became his normal color. _Calm Mind helps out. I can see it now… I know what my heart is telling me about Amber. _He opened his eyes and continued eating calmly, ignoring the stare he was getting from the female sitting at the table with him. _I will tell her when she asks, which should be soon._

Amber cleared her throat soon, making Shinryu look her in the eyes as he took a bite of his medium-rare steak. "I was wondering… What does Night say about us?" She asked timidly.

Shinryu glanced at the Absol in question, who nodded to him. "She told me to follow my heart Amber." He started slowly, not looking at her because he didn't want to see her react after saying that part. "However I have personally decided my own stance on this. I think that after me and Night being together after so long of not knowing who was right for me, our relationship is not stable enough to even allow another into it. I am sorry Amber," He looked at her with a slightly sad expression. "But I will have to say no."

Silence had fallen over the room like a soft blanket, no sounds could be heard beyond the breathing of the three beings in the room as they all processed what just happened.

_I just told Amber that she wasn't to be shared and I hope she understands I do not say it because I hate her. _Shinryu thought to himself as he watched the girl.

_Shinryu is very wise to understand this after I told him to follow his heart. I am proud of you, but I think Amber might not think the same thing._

… _He said no…_ Was all Amber thought before sighing and going back to eating.

Shinryu finished his food first and went to the kitchen to do the dishes silently, knowing better than to say anything at all to Amber while she processed this. _I almost feel bad for the girl. I kinda led her on to believing there was a chance that she could share me. That is my fault. Man I am such a bastard for doing that to her. She probably hates me._ He tensed when he felt a presence behind him before looking over his shoulder at the downturned face of Amber, whose hair was hiding her eyes.

Amber remained quiet for a bit before putting her dishes around him onto the counter and stepping back. "I thought…" She started.

"Look," Shinryu started softly, voice filled with sorrow. "I am sorry if I led you on and made you believe that it would be possible. That was not my intention… If you want to slap me I'd be happy to let you if that would allow us to at least remain friends. I'd hate to lose you as that over a mistake I made."

Amber remained silent.

"I mean it. If you wanna attack me or something to take out any anger then go ahead."

"... I forgive you Shinryu."

Shinryu blinked, stunned. "You… Forgive me? Why?"

"Because I can tell you are being honest about this. And I do appreciate that… I would be honored to remain your friend." She suddenly looked up at Shinryu and smiled brightly, making him blink a bit in shock.

"Alright. Get some rest, I'll finish up here." He said quietly as he turned his attention back to the dishes and began cleaning them while fully concentrating on it. He felt Amber's presence no longer behind him or even in the same room as him, and then let out a heavy sigh. _Oh Arceus… I dodged a figurative bullet there._

Night slowly walked up to Shinryu and nuzzled his leg. "You okay hun?" She asked softly.

Shinryu nodded a bit. "I think I'm feeling better. Not by much, but it is a start love." He answered with a small smile.

"Good. I am glad you are feeling at least somewhat better than you were earlier today."

Shinryu tilted his head as he heard a ringing coming from his pocket. He dried his hands off and pulled his Pokenav out and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hello Shinryu. No need to come to a hearing. All charges have been dropped and your assets are unfrozen, but we are sad to inform you they were all drained by a hacker as soon as we reactivated them." Said the voice of Steven.

Shinryu blinked. "So my battling privileges are reinstated?"

"Correct. And in ten minutes the guards keeping you in your room will leave." Steven continued. "I am sorry this had to happen. Whoever it was pleading your case was quite helpful. You should thank them sometime."

"Who was it?"

"A man who went by the name of Vorryn. Anyways, I gotta go. I have a challenger to attend to soon. Hopefully I can talk to you under better terms."

"Agreed. I will let you go, I need to stretch my legs after being confined for so long."

"Good bye." Once Shinryu heard the other line click, he flicked the device into the closed position and set it back on his belt.

* * *

><p><em>Who the hell is Vorryn? <em>Shinryu wondered as he left his room with Night walking next to him, and returning Amber's Trainer card to her. As soon as he got outside of the hotel… He began running down the umbral-bathed streets with his mate by his side, focused on reaching the park he saw on a map by the entrance of the hotel. He jumped and swerved around obstacles in his way, which primarily consisted of street hazards due to the fact not a single person was walking the streets. _Who cares right now actually. I need to run!_

Night smiled at her trainer as she galloped behind him, keeping pace with Shinryu who she could tell was purposely only running just within the limits of human capabilities as an instinct to prevent any possible onlooker from seeing his true speed.

At their pace, it didn't take long for the pair to come to the park where they stopped at.

_This is the same park me and Sarah went to._ Thought Night as she walked with Shinryu leading the way. She noticed he was heading for a deeper part of the park that was not visible to anyone looking directly in from the outside edges of said park. _What is he planning?_ She wondered.

Shinryu stopped once in the heart of the park. "Something seems familiar about this place…" He muttered to himself before he pulsed his aura strongly around him, causing a ghostly image to appear in front of him of a miniature obelisk with benign markings all around it. "I see… A focusing spire used to be here."

Night blinked at hearing this. _Focusing spire?_

"I didn't tell you about my dream did I?" Shinryu asked, staring at Night. "I had a dream about something that happened in the past, with our previous selves I believe. A ritual was being enacted to seal away something. And I know a ritual of that power must require an immense amount of power that cannot be done with just the people I had seen in said dream, which leads me to understand that some sort of focuses were used to channel the energies efficiently."

"You know a lot about magic…"

"Well I was trapped in a wheelchair for a few years before I met you with nothing but a computer and some books for entertainment. I may or may not have looked into the Occult Arts once… Or twice… Or dozens of times."

Night laughed. "You amaze me at times."

"Good. I like keeping people, and pokemon, on their toes." Shinryu joked. He waved his hand and dispelled the translucent image of the obelisk. "We know our mission now. At least better than what we knew before. I think I know what is going on…"

"What is going on then?"

Shinryu glanced down at Night. "We have to redo the Seal before the Enemy can break free and have total reign over its Darkness. It'll be easier if it remains sealed, but if it breaks out we'll have to personally restore the phased out Focus Spires or directly defeat the Enemy… Which should be weaker after having been sealed away for so long, but at the same time would be far stronger than either of us."

She nods. "But now we have our path."

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><p><strong>Here's another chapter of Trema. Sorry for the shorter than average chapters, but due to things changing with who is writing this story, I have finished converting it into a Shinryu focused story now. So from here on out, I can hopefully extend the length of things even more than before. Please Read and Review, feedback is helpful. And also, I would greatly appreciate any flames being directed to me as a PM because publicly posting any flames is just rude. And besides, I have a friend who loves Flames and grows more powerful feeling them.<strong>

**Oh and I have removed the Introductory Chapter which means from now on Chapter number will directly correlate to each Chapter released. Which helps me keep my sanity xD**

**~Veloran**


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